The Underground City by Jules Verne

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itle: The Underground City

uthor: Jules Verne

osting Date: September 17, 2008 [EBook #1355]Release Date: June, 1998

anguage: English

** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE UNDERGROUND CITY ***

roduced by Judy Boss

HE UNDERGROUND CITY

R

HE BLACK INDIES

Sometimes Called The Child of the Cavern)

erne, Jules. _Works of Jules Verne_. Ed. Charles F. Horne. Vol. 9. New

ork: F. Tyler Daniels Company, 1911. 277-394.

HE UNDERGROUND CITY

HAPTER I. CONTRADICTORY LETTERS

o Mr. F. R. Starr, Engineer, 30 Canongate, Edinburgh.

F Mr. James Starr will come to-morrow to the Aberfoyle coal-mines,ochart pit, Yarrow shaft, a communication of an interesting nature wille made to him.

Mr. James Starr will be awaited for, the whole day, at the Callandertation, by Harry Ford, son of the old overman Simon Ford."

He is requested to keep this invitation secret."

uch was the letter which James Starr received by the first post, on therd December, 18--, the letter bearing the Aberfoyle postmark, county oftirling, Scotland.

he engineer's curiosity was excited to the highest pitch. It never




ccurred to him to doubt whether this letter might not be a hoax. Forany years he had known Simon Ford, one of the former foremen of theberfoyle mines, of which he, James Starr, had for twenty years, beenhe manager, or, as he would be termed in English coal-mines, theiewer. James Starr was a strongly-constituted man, on whom hisifty-five years weighed no more heavily than if they had been forty.e belonged to an old Edinburgh family, and was one of its mostistinguished members. His labors did credit to the body of engineerswho are gradually devouring the carboniferous subsoil of the UnitedKingdom, as much at Cardiff and Newcastle, as in the southern countiesf Scotland. However, it was more particularly in the depths of theysterious mines of Aberfoyle, which border on the Alloa mines andccupy part of the county of Stirling, that the name of Starr hadcquired the greatest renown. There, the greater part of his existencead been passed. Besides this, James Starr belonged to the Scottishntiquarian Society, of which he had been made president. He was alsoncluded amongst the most active members of the Royal Institution; andhe Edinburgh Review frequently published clever articles signed by him.e was in fact one of those practical men to whom is due the prosperityf England. He held a high rank in the old capital of Scotland, whichot only from a physical but also from a moral point of view, welleserves the name of the Northern Athens.

We know that the English have given to their vast extent of coal-mines

very significant name. They very justly call them the "Black Indies,"nd these Indies have contributed perhaps even more than the Easternndies to swell the surprising wealth of the United Kingdom.

t this period, the limit of time assigned by professional men forhe exhaustion of coal-mines was far distant and there was no dreadf scarcity. There were still extensive mines to be worked in the twomericas. The manu-factories, appropriated to so many different uses,ocomotives, steamers, gas works, &c., were not likely to fail for wantf the mineral fuel; but the consumption had so increased during theast few years, that certain beds had been exhausted even to theirmallest veins. Now deserted, these mines perforated the ground withheir useless shafts and forsaken galleries. This was exactly the casewith the pits of Aberfoyle.

en years before, the last butty had raised the last ton of coal fromhis colliery. The underground working stock, traction engines, truckswhich run on rails along the galleries, subterranean tramways, frames toupport the shaft, pipes--in short, all that constituted the machineryf a mine had been brought up from its depths. The exhausted mine wasike the body of a huge fantastically-shaped mastodon, from which allhe organs of life have been taken, and only the skeleton remains.

othing was left but long wooden ladders, down the Yarrow shaft--thenly one which now gave access to the lower galleries of the Dochartit. Above ground, the sheds, formerly sheltering the outside works,till marked the spot where the shaft of that pit had been sunk,t being now abandoned, as were the other pits, of which the wholeonstituted the mines of Aberfoyle.

t was a sad day, when for the last time the workmen quitted the mine,n which they had lived for so many years. The engineer, James Starr,ad collected the hundreds of workmen which composed the active andourageous population of the mine. Overmen, brakemen, putters, wastemen,arrowmen, masons, smiths, carpenters, outside and inside laborers,women, children, and old men, all were collected in the great yard ofhe Dochart pit, formerly heaped with coal from the mine.

any of these families had existed for generations in the mine ofld Aberfoyle; they were now driven to seek the means of subsistencelsewhere, and they waited sadly to bid farewell to the engineer.

ames Starr stood upright, at the door of the vast shed in which he




ad for so many years superintended the powerful machines of the shaft.imon Ford, the foreman of the Dochart pit, then fifty-five years ofge, and other managers and overseers, surrounded him. James Starr tookff his hat. The miners, cap in hand, kept a profound silence. Thisarewell scene was of a touching character, not wanting in grandeur.

My friends," said the engineer, "the time has come for us to separate.he Aberfoyle mines, which for so many years have united us in aommon work, are now exhausted. All our researches have not led tohe discovery of a new vein, and the last block of coal has just beenxtracted from the Dochart pit." And in confirmation of his words, Jamestarr pointed to a lump of coal which had been kept at the bottom of aasket.

This piece of coal, my friends," resumed James Starr, "is like the lastrop of blood which has flowed through the veins of the mine! We shalleep it, as the first fragment of coal is kept, which was extracted hundred and fifty years ago from the bearings of Aberfoyle. Betweenhese two pieces, how many generations of workmen have succeeded eachther in our pits! Now, it is over! The last words which your engineerwill address to you are a farewell. You have lived in this mine, whichour hands have emptied. The work has been hard, but not without profitor you. Our great family must disperse, and it is not probable that theuture will ever again unite the scattered members. But do not forget

hat we have lived together for a long time, and that it will be theuty of the miners of Aberfoyle to help each other. Your old masterswill not forget you either. When men have worked together, they mustever be stranger to each other again. We shall keep our eye on you, andwherever you go, our recommendations shall follow you. Farewell then, myriends, and may Heaven be with you!"

o saying, James Starr wrung the horny hand of the oldest miner, whoseyes were dim with tears. Then the overmen of the different pits cameorward to shake hands with him, whilst the miners waved their caps,houting, "Farewell, James Starr, our master and our friend!"

his farewell would leave a lasting remembrance in all these honestearts. Slowly and sadly the population quitted the yard. The black soilf the roads leading to the Dochart pit resounded for the last time to

he tread of miners' feet, and silence succeeded to the bustling lifewhich had till then filled the Aberfoyle mines.

ne man alone remained by James Starr. This was the overman, Simon Ford.ear him stood a boy, about fifteen years of age, who for some yearslready had been employed down below.

ames Starr and Simon Ford knew and esteemed each other well. "Good-by,imon," said the engineer.

Good-by, Mr. Starr," replied the overman, "let me add, till we meetgain!"

Yes, till we meet again. Ford!" answered James Starr. "You know that I

hall be always glad to see you, and talk over old times."

I know that, Mr. Starr."

My house in Edinburgh is always open to you."

It's a long way off, is Edinburgh!" answered the man shaking his head.Ay, a long way from the Dochart pit."

A long way, Simon? Where do you mean to live?"

Even here, Mr. Starr! We're not going to leave the mine, our good oldurse, just because her milk is dried up! My wife, my boy, and myself,




we mean to remain faithful to her!"

Good-by then, Simon," replied the engineer, whose voice, in spite ofimself, betrayed some emotion.

No, I tell you, it's TILL WE MEET AGAIN, Mr. Starr, and not Justgood-by,'" returned the foreman. "Mark my words, Aberfoyle will see yougain!"

he engineer did not try to dispel the man's illusion. He patted Harry'sead, again wrung the father's hand, and left the mine.

ll this had taken place ten years ago; but, notwithstanding the wishwhich the overman had expressed to see him again, during that time Starrad heard nothing of him. It was after ten years of separation that heot this letter from Simon Ford, requesting him to take without delayhe road to the old Aberfoyle colliery.

communication of an interesting nature, what could it be? Dochart pit.arrow shaft! What recollections of the past these names brought backo him! Yes, that was a fine time, that of work, of struggle,--the bestart of the engineer's life. Starr re-read his letter. He pondered overt in all its bearings. He much regretted that just a line more had noteen added by Ford. He wished he had not been quite so laconic.

Was it possible that the old foreman had discovered some new vein?o! Starr remembered with what minute care the mines had been exploredefore the definite cessation of the works. He had himself proceededo the lowest soundings without finding the least trace in the soil,urrowed in every direction. They had even attempted to find coal undertrata which are usually below it, such as the Devonian red sandstone,ut without result. James Starr had therefore abandoned the mine withhe absolute conviction that it did not contain another bit of coal.

No," he repeated, "no! How is it possible that anything which couldave escaped my researches, should be revealed to those of Simon Ford.owever, the old overman must well know that such a discovery would behe one thing in the world to interest me, and this invitation, which Iust keep secret, to repair to the Dochart pit!" James Starr always came

ack to that.

n the other hand, the engineer knew Ford to be a clever miner,eculiarly endowed with the instinct of his trade. He had not seen himince the time when the Aberfoyle colliery was abandoned, and did notnow either what he was doing or where he was living, with his wife andis son. All that he now knew was, that a rendezvous had been appointedim at the Yarrow shaft, and that Harry, Simon Ford's son, was to waitor him during the whole of the next day at the Callander station.

I shall go, I shall go!" said Starr, his excitement increasing as theime drew near.

ur worthy engineer belonged to that class of men whose brain is alwaysn the boil, like a kettle on a hot fire. In some of these brain kettleshe ideas bubble over, in others they just simmer quietly. Now on thisay, James Starr's ideas were boiling fast.

ut suddenly an unexpected incident occurred. This was the drop of coldwater, which in a moment was to condense all the vapors of the brain.bout six in the evening, by the third post, Starr's servant broughtim a second letter. This letter was enclosed in a coarse envelope, andvidently directed by a hand unaccustomed to the use of a pen. Jamestarr tore it open. It contained only a scrap of paper, yellowed byime, and apparently torn out of an old copy book.

n this paper was written a single sentence, thus worded:




It is useless for the engineer James Starr to trouble himself, Simonord's letter being now without object."

o signature.

HAPTER II. ON THE ROAD

HE course of James Starr's ideas was abruptly stopped, when he got thisecond letter contradicting the first.

What does this mean?" said he to himself. He took up the torn envelope,nd examined it. Like the other, it bore the Aberfoyle postmark. It hadherefore come from the same part of the county of Stirling. The oldiner had evidently not written it. But, no less evidently, the authorf this second letter knew the overman's secret, since it expresslyontradicted the invitation to the engineer to go to the Yarrow shaft.

Was it really true that the first communication was now without object?id someone wish to prevent James Starr from troubling himself eitherselessly or otherwise? Might there not be rather a malevolent intention

o thwart Ford's plans?

his was the conclusion at which James Starr arrived, after matureeflection. The contradiction which existed between the two letters onlywrought in him a more keen desire to visit the Dochart pit. And besides,f after all it was a hoax, it was well worth while to prove it. Starrlso thought it wiser to give more credence to the first letter than tohe second; that is to say, to the request of such a man as Simon Ford,ather than to the warning of his anonymous contradictor.

Indeed," said he, "the fact of anyone endeavoring to influence myesolution, shows that Ford's communication must be of great importance.o-morrow, at the appointed time, I shall be at the rendezvous."

n the evening, Starr made his preparations for departure. As it might

appen that his absence would be prolonged for some days, he wrote toir W. Elphiston, President of the Royal Institution, that he should benable to be present at the next meeting of the Society. He also wroteo excuse himself from two or three engagements which he had made forhe week. Then, having ordered his servant to pack a traveling bag, hewent to bed, more excited than the affair perhaps warranted.

he next day, at five o'clock, James Starr jumped out of bed, dressedimself warmly, for a cold rain was falling, and left his house in theanongate, to go to Granton Pier to catch the steamer, which in threeours would take him up the Forth as far as Stirling.

or the first time in his life, perhaps, in passing along the Canongate,e did NOT TURN TO LOOK AT HOLYROOD, the palace of the former sovereigns

f Scotland. He did not notice the sentinels who stood before itsateways, dressed in the uniform of their Highland regiment, tartanilt, plaid and sporran complete. His whole thought was to reachallander where Harry Ford was supposedly awaiting him.

he better to understand this narrative, it will be as well to hear aew words on the origin of coal. During the geological epoch, whenhe terrestrial spheroid was still in course of formation, a thicktmosphere surrounded it, saturated with watery vapors, and copiouslympregnated with carbonic acid. The vapors gradually condensed iniluvial rains, which fell as if they had leapt from the necks ofhousands of millions of seltzer water bottles. This liquid, loadedwith carbonic acid, rushed in torrents over a deep soft soil, subject toudden or slow alterations of form, and maintained in its semi-fluid




tate as much by the heat of the sun as by the fires of the interiorass. The internal heat had not as yet been collected in the center ofhe globe. The terrestrial crust, thin and incompletely hardened,llowed it to spread through its pores. This caused a peculiar form ofegetation, such as is probably produced on the surface of the inferiorlanets, Venus or Mercury, which revolve nearer than our earth aroundhe radiant sun of our system.

he soil of the continents was covered with immense forests. Carboniccid, so suitable for the development of the vegetable kingdom,bounded. The feet of these trees were drowned in a sort of immenseagoon, kept continually full by currents of fresh and salt waters.hey eagerly assimilated to themselves the carbon which they, little byittle, extracted from the atmosphere, as yet unfit for the functionf life, and it may be said that they were destined to store it, in theorm of coal, in the very bowels of the earth.

t was the earthquake period, caused by internal convulsions, whichuddenly modified the unsettled features of the terrestrial surface.ere, an intumescence which was to become a mountain, there, an abysswhich was to be filled with an ocean or a sea. There, whole forests sunkhrough the earth's crust, below the unfixed strata, either until theyound a resting-place, such as the primitive bed of granitic rock, or,ettling together in a heap, they formed a solid mass.

s the waters were contained in no bed, and were spread over everyart of the globe, they rushed where they liked, tearing fromhe scarcely-formed rocks material with which to compose schists,andstones, and limestones. This the roving waves bore over theubmerged and now peaty forests, and deposited above them the elementsf rocks which were to superpose the coal strata. In course of time,eriods of which include millions of years, these earths hardened inayers, and enclosed under a thick carapace of pudding-stone, schist,ompact or friable sandstone, gravel and stones, the whole of theassive forests.

nd what went on in this gigantic crucible, where all this vegetableatter had accumulated, sunk to various depths? A regular chemicalperation, a sort of distillation. All the carbon contained in these

egetables had agglomerated, and little by little coal was formingnder the double influence of enormous pressure and the high temperatureaintained by the internal fires, at this time so close to it.

hus there was one kingdom substituted for another in this slow butrresistible reaction. The vegetable was transformed into a mineral.lants which had lived the vegetative life in all the vigor of firstreation became petrified. Some of the substances enclosed in thisast herbal left their impression on the other more rapidly mineralizedroducts, which pressed them as an hydraulic press of incalculable powerwould have done.

hus also shells, zoophytes, star-fish, polypi, spirifores, even fishnd lizards brought by the water, left on the yet soft coal their exact

ikeness, "admirably taken off."

ressure seems to have played a considerable part in the formation ofarboniferous strata. In fact, it is to its degree of power that are duehe different sorts of coal, of which industry makes use. Thus in theowest layers of the coal ground appears the anthracite, which, beinglmost destitute of volatile matter, contains the greatest quantityf carbon. In the higher beds are found, on the contrary, lignite andossil wood, substances in which the quantity of carbon is infinitelyess. Between these two beds, according to the degree of pressure towhich they have been subjected, are found veins of graphite and rich oroor coal. It may be asserted that it is for want of sufficient pressurehat beds of peaty bog have not been completely changed into coal. Sohen, the origin of coal mines, in whatever part of the globe they have




een discovered, is this: the absorption through the terrestrial crustf the great forests of the geological period; then, the mineralizationf the vegetables obtained in the course of time, under the influence ofressure and heat, and under the action of carbonic acid.

ow, at the time when the events related in this story took place, somef the most important mines of the Scottish coal beds had been exhaustedy too rapid working. In the region which extends between Edinburghnd Glasgow, for a distance of ten or twelve miles, lay the Aberfoyleolliery, of which the engineer, James Starr, had so long directed theworks. For ten years these mines had been abandoned. No new seams hadeen discovered, although the soundings had been carried to a depth ofifteen hundred or even of two thousand feet, and when James Starr hadetired, it was with the full conviction that even the smallest vein hadeen completely exhausted.

nder these circumstances, it was plain that the discovery of a new seamf coal would be an important event. Could Simon Ford's communicationelate to a fact of this nature? This question James Starr could notease asking himself. Was he called to make conquest of another cornerf these rich treasure fields? Fain would he hope it was so.

he second letter had for an instant checked his speculations on thisubject, but now he thought of that letter no longer. Besides, the son

f the old overman was there, waiting at the appointed rendezvous. Thenonymous letter was therefore worth nothing.

he moment the engineer set foot on the platform at the end of hisourney, the young man advanced towards him.

Are you Harry Ford?" asked the engineer quickly.

Yes, Mr. Starr."

I should not have known you, my lad. Of course in ten years you haveecome a man!"

I knew you directly, sir," replied the young miner, cap in hand. "You

ave not changed. You look just as you did when you bade us good-by inhe Dochart pit. I haven't forgotten that day."

Put on your cap, Harry," said the engineer. "It's pouring, andoliteness needn't make you catch cold."

Shall we take shelter anywhere, Mr. Starr?" asked young Ford.

No, Harry. The weather is settled. It will rain all day, and I am in aurry. Let us go on."

I am at your orders," replied Harry.

Tell me, Harry, is your father well?"

Very well, Mr. Starr."

And your mother?"

She is well, too."

Was it your father who wrote telling me to come to the Yarrow shaft?"

No, it was I."

Then did Simon Ford send me a second letter to contradict the first?"sked the engineer quickly.




nother sheep with silky wool, like those in a child's toy sheep fold.

he Yarrow shaft was situated four miles from Callander. Whilst walking,ames Starr could not but be struck with the change in the country. Head not seen it since the day when the last ton of Aberfoyle coal hadeen emptied into railway trucks to be sent to Glasgow. Agriculturalife had now taken the place of the more stirring, active, industrialife. The contrast was all the greater because, during winter, fieldwork is at a standstill. But formerly, at whatever season, the miningopulation, above and below ground, filled the scene with animation.reat wagons of coal used to be passing night and day. The rails, withheir rotten sleepers, now disused, were then constantly ground byhe weight of wagons. Now stony roads took the place of the old miningramways. James Starr felt as if he was traversing a desert.

he engineer gazed about him with a saddened eye. He stopped now andhen to take breath. He listened. The air was no longer filled withistant whistlings and the panting of engines. None of those blackapors which the manufacturer loves to see, hung in the horizon,ingling with the clouds. No tall cylindrical or prismatic chimneyomited out smoke, after being fed from the mine itself; no blast-pipewas puffing out its white vapor. The ground, formerly black withoal dust, had a bright look, to which James Starr's eyes were notccustomed.

When the engineer stood still, Harry Ford stopped also. The young minerwaited in silence. He felt what was passing in his companion's mind, ande shared his feelings; he, a child of the mine, whose whole life hadeen passed in its depths.

Yes, Harry, it is all changed," said Starr. "But at the rate we worked,f course the treasures of coal would have been exhausted some day. Doou regret that time?"

I do regret it, Mr. Starr," answered Harry. "The work was hard, but itwas interesting, as are all struggles."

No doubt, my lad. A continuous struggle against the dangers ofandslips, fires, inundations, explosions of firedamp, like claps of

hunder. One had to guard against all those perils! You say well! It was struggle, and consequently an exciting life."

The miners of Alva have been more favored than the miners of Aberfoyle,r. Starr!"

Ay, Harry, so they have," replied the engineer.

Indeed," cried the young man, "it's a pity that all the globe was notade of coal; then there would have been enough to last millions ofears!"

No doubt there would, Harry; it must be acknowledged, however, thatature has shown more forethought by forming our sphere principally of

andstone, limestone, and granite, which fire cannot consume."

Do you mean to say, Mr. Starr, that mankind would have ended by burningheir own globe?"

Yes! The whole of it, my lad," answered the engineer. "The earth wouldave passed to the last bit into the furnaces of engines, machines,teamers, gas factories; certainly, that would have been the end of ourworld one fine day!"

There is no fear of that now, Mr. Starr. But yet, the mines will bexhausted, no doubt, and more rapidly than the statistics make out!"

That will happen, Harry; and in my opinion England is very wrong in




arry descended the first steps of the upper ladder. Starr followed.hey soon found themselves in a profound obscurity, which was onlyelieved by the glimmer of the lamp. The young man held it above hisead, the better to light his companion. A dozen ladders were descendedy the engineer and his guide, with the measured step habitual to theiner. They were all still in good condition.

ames Starr examined, as well as the insufficient light would permit,he sides of the dark shaft, which were covered by a partly rottenining of wood.

rrived at the fifteenth landing, that is to say, half way down, theyalted for a few minutes.

Decidedly, I have not your legs, my lad," said the engineer, panting.

You are very stout, Mr. Starr," replied Harry, "and it's something too,ou see, to live all one's life in the mine."

Right, Harry. Formerly, when I was twenty, I could have gone down allt a breath. Come, forward!"

ut just as the two were about to leave the platform, a voice, as yetar distant, was heard in the depths of the shaft. It came up like a

onorous billow, swelling as it advanced, and becoming more and moreistinct.

Halloo! who comes here?" asked the engineer, stopping Harry.

I cannot say," answered the young miner.

Is it not your father?"

My father, Mr. Starr? no."

Some neighbor, then?"

We have no neighbors in the bottom of the pit," replied Harry. "We are

lone, quite alone."

Well, we must let this intruder pass," said James Starr. "Those who areescending must yield the path to those who are ascending."

hey waited. The voice broke out again with a magnificent burst, asf it had been carried through a vast speaking trumpet; and soon a fewwords of a Scotch song came clearly to the ears of the young miner.

The Hundred Pipers!" cried Harry. "Well, I shall be much surprised ifhat comes from the lungs of any man but Jack Ryan."

And who is this Jack Ryan?" asked James Starr.

An old mining comrade," replied Harry. Then leaning from the platform,Halloo! Jack!" he shouted.

Is that you, Harry?" was the reply. "Wait a bit, I'm coming." And theong broke forth again.

n a few minutes, a tall fellow of five and twenty, with a merry face,miling eyes, a laughing mouth, and sandy hair, appeared at the bottomf the luminous cone which was thrown from his lantern, and set footn the landing of the fifteenth ladder. His first act was to vigorouslywring the hand which Harry extended to him.

Delighted to meet you!" he exclaimed. "If I had only known you were toe above ground to-day, I would have spared myself going down the Yarrow




haft!"

This is Mr. James Starr," said Harry, turning his lamp towards thengineer, who was in the shadow.

Mr. Starr!" cried Jack Ryan. "Ah, sir, I could not see. Since I lefthe mine, my eyes have not been accustomed to see in the dark, as theysed to do."

Ah, I remember a laddie who was always singing. That was ten years ago.t was you, no doubt?"

Ay, Mr. Starr, but in changing my trade, I haven't changed myisposition. It's far better to laugh and sing than to cry and whine!"

You're right there, Jack Ryan. And what do you do now, as you have lefthe mine?"

I am working on the Melrose farm, forty miles from here. Ah, it's notike our Aberfoyle mines! The pick comes better to my hand than thepade or hoe. And then, in the old pit, there were vaulted roofs, toerrily echo one's songs, while up above ground!--But you are going toee old Simon, Mr. Starr?"

Yes, Jack," answered the engineer.

Don't let me keep you then."

Tell me, Jack," said Harry, "what was taking you to our cottageo-day?"

I wanted to see you, man," replied Jack, "and ask you to come tohe Irvine games. You know I am the piper of the place. There will beancing and singing."

Thank you, Jack, but it's impossible."

Impossible?"

Yes; Mr. Starr's visit will last some time, and I must take him back toallander."

Well, Harry, it won't be for a week yet. By that time Mr. Starr's visitwill be over, I should think, and there will be nothing to keep you athe cottage."

Indeed, Harry," said James Starr, "you must profit by your friendack's invitation."

Well, I accept it, Jack," said Harry. "In a week we will meet atrvine."

In a week, that's settled," returned Ryan. "Good-by, Harry! Yourervant, Mr. Starr. I am very glad to have seen you again! I can giveews of you to all my friends. No one has forgotten you, sir."

And I have forgotten no one," said Starr.

Thanks for all, sir," replied Jack.

Good-by, Jack," said Harry, shaking his hand. And Jack Ryan, singing ase went, soon disappeared in the heights of the shaft, dimly lighted byis lamp.

quarter of an hour afterwards James Starr and Harry descended the lastadder, and set foot on the lowest floor of the pit.




rom the bottom of the Yarrow shaft radiated numerous empty galleries.hey ran through the wall of schist and sandstone, some shored up withreat, roughly-hewn beams, others lined with a thick casing of wood. Invery direction embankments supplied the place of the excavated veins.rtificial pillars were made of stone from neighboring quarries, and nowhey supported the ground, that is to say, the double layer of tertiarynd quaternary soil, which formerly rested on the seam itself. Darknessow filled the galleries, formerly lighted either by the miner's lampr by the electric light, the use of which had been introduced in theines.

Will you not rest a while, Mr. Starr?" asked the young man.

No, my lad," replied the engineer, "for I am anxious to be at yourather's cottage."

Follow me then, Mr. Starr. I will guide you, and yet I daresay youould find your way perfectly well through this dark labyrinth."

Yes, indeed! I have the whole plan of the old pit still in my head."

arry, followed by the engineer, and holding his lamp high the bettero light their way, walked along a high gallery, like the nave of a

athedral. Their feet still struck against the wooden sleepers whichsed to support the rails.

hey had not gone more than fifty paces, when a huge stone fell at theeet of James Starr. "Take care, Mr. Starr!" cried Harry, seizing thengineer by the arm.

A stone, Harry! Ah! these old vaultings are no longer quite secure, ofourse, and--"

Mr. Starr," said Harry Ford, "it seems to me that stone was thrown,hrown as by the hand of man!"

Thrown!" exclaimed James Starr. "What do you mean, lad?"

Nothing, nothing, Mr. Starr," replied Harry evasively, his anxious gazendeavoring to pierce the darkness. "Let us go on. Take my arm, sir, andon't be afraid of making a false step."

Here I am, Harry." And they both advanced, whilst Harry looked onvery side, throwing the light of his lamp into all the corners of theallery.

Shall we soon be there?" asked the engineer.

In ten minutes at most."

Good."

But," muttered Harry, "that was a most singular thing. It is the firstime such an accident has happened to me.

That stone falling just at the moment we were passing."

Harry, it was a mere chance."

Chance," replied the young man, shaking his head. "Yes, chance." Hetopped and listened.

What is the matter, Harry?" asked the engineer.

I thought I heard someone walking behind us," replied the younginer, listening more attentively. Then he added, "No, I must have been




istaken. Lean harder on my arm, Mr. Starr. Use me like a staff."

A good solid staff, Harry," answered James Starr. "I could not wish for better than a fine fellow like you."

hey continued in silence along the dark nave. Harry was evidentlyreoccupied, and frequently turned, trying to catch, either some distantoise, or remote glimmer of light.

ut behind and before, all was silence and darkness.

HAPTER IV. THE FORD FAMILY

EN minutes afterwards, James Starr and Harry issued from the principalallery. They were now standing in a glade, if we may use this wordo designate a vast and dark excavation. The place, however, was notntirely deprived of daylight. A few rays straggled in throughhe opening of a deserted shaft. It was by means of this pipe thatentilation was established in the Dochart pit. Owing to its lesserensity, the warm air was drawn towards the Yarrow shaft. Both air andight, therefore, penetrated in some measure into the glade.

ere Simon Ford had lived with his family ten years, in a subterraneanwelling, hollowed out in the schistous mass, where formerly stood theowerful engines which worked the mechanical traction of the Dochartit.

uch was the habitation, "his cottage," as he called it, in whichesided the old overman. As he had some means saved during a long lifef toil, Ford could have afforded to live in the light of day, amongrees, or in any town of the kingdom he chose, but he and his wife andon preferred remaining in the mine, where they were happy together,aving the same opinions, ideas, and tastes. Yes, they were quite fondf their cottage, buried fifteen hundred feet below Scottish soil.mong other advantages, there was no fear that tax gatherers, or rentollectors would ever come to trouble its inhabitants.

t this period, Simon Ford, the former overman of the Dochart pit, borehe weight of sixty-five years well. Tall, robust, well-built, he wouldave been regarded as one of the most conspicuous men in the districtwhich supplies so many fine fellows to the Highland regiments.

imon Ford was descended from an old mining family, and his ancestorsad worked the very first carboniferous seams opened in Scotland.Without discussing whether or not the Greeks and Romans made use ofoal, whether the Chinese worked coal mines before the Christian era,whether the French word for coal (HOUILLE) is really derived from thearrier Houillos, who lived in Belgium in the twelfth century, we mayffirm that the beds in Great Britain were the first ever regularlyworked. So early as the eleventh century, William the Conqueror divided

he produce of the Newcastle bed among his companions-in-arms. At thend of the thirteenth century, a license for the mining of "sea coal"was granted by Henry III. Lastly, towards the end of the same century,ention is made of the Scotch and Welsh beds.

t was about this time that Simon Ford's ancestors penetrated into theowels of Caledonian earth, and lived there ever after, from father toon. They were but plain miners. They labored like convicts at the workf extracting the precious combustible. It is even believed that theoal miners, like the salt-makers of that period, were actual slaves.

owever that might have been, Simon Ford was proud of belonging to thisncient family of Scotch miners. He had worked diligently in the samelace where his ancestors had wielded the pick, the crowbar, and the




attock. At thirty he was overman of the Dochart pit, the most importantn the Aberfoyle colliery. He was devoted to his trade. During longears he zealously performed his duty. His only grief had been toerceive the bed becoming impoverished, and to see the hour approachingwhen the seam would be exhausted.

t was then he devoted himself to the search for new veins in all theberfoyle pits, which communicated underground one with another. Head had the good luck to discover several during the last period ofhe working. His miner's instinct assisted him marvelously, and thengineer, James Starr, appreciated him highly. It might be said thate divined the course of seams in the depths of the coal mine as aydroscope reveals springs in the bowels of the earth. He was parxcellence the type of a miner whose whole existence is indissolublyonnected with that of his mine. He had lived there from his birth, andow that the works were abandoned he wished to live there still. His sonarry foraged for the subterranean housekeeping; as for himself, duringhose ten years he had not been ten times above ground.

Go up there! What is the good?" he would say, and refused to leave hislack domain. The place was remarkably healthy, subject to an equableemperature; the old overman endured neither the heat of summer norhe cold of winter. His family enjoyed good health; what more could heesire?

ut at heart he felt depressed. He missed the former animation,ovement, and life in the well-worked pit. He was, however, supported byne fixed idea. "No, no! the mine is not exhausted!" he repeated.

nd that man would have given serious offense who could have venturedo express before Simon Ford any doubt that old Aberfoyle would one dayevive! He had never given up the hope of discovering some new bed whichwould restore the mine to its past splendor. Yes, he would willingly,ad it been necessary, have resumed the miner's pick, and with histill stout arms vigorously attacked the rock. He went through the darkalleries, sometimes alone, sometimes with his son, examining, searchingor signs of coal, only to return each day, wearied, but not in despair,o the cottage.

adge, Simon's faithful companion, his "gude-wife," to use the Scotcherm, was a tall, strong, comely woman. Madge had no wish to leave theochart pit any more than had her husband. She shared all his hopes andegrets. She encouraged him, she urged him on, and talked to him in way which cheered the heart of the old overman. "Aberfoyle is onlysleep," she would say. "You are right about that, Simon. This is but aest, it is not death!"

adge, as well as the others, was perfectly satisfied to livendependent of the outer world, and was the center of the happinessnjoyed by the little family in their dark cottage.

he engineer was eagerly expected. Simon Ford was standing at his door,

nd as soon as Harry's lamp announced the arrival of his former viewere advanced to meet him.

Welcome, Mr. Starr!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing under the rooff schist. "Welcome to the old overman's cottage! Though it is buriedifteen hundred feet under the earth, our house is not the lessospitable."

And how are you, good Simon?" asked James Starr, grasping the handwhich his host held out to him.

Very well, Mr. Starr. How could I be otherwise here, sheltered fromhe inclemencies of the weather? Your ladies who go to Newhaven or




ortobello in the summer time would do much better to pass a few monthsn the coal mine of Aberfoyle! They would run no risk here of catching aeavy cold, as they do in the damp streets of the old capital."

I'm not the man to contradict you, Simon," answered James Starr, glado find the old man just as he used to be. "Indeed, I wonder why I doot change my home in the Canongate for a cottage near you."

And why not, Mr. Starr? I know one of your old miners who would beruly pleased to have only a partition wall between you and him."

And how is Madge?" asked the engineer.

The goodwife is in better health than I am, if that's possible,"eplied Ford, "and it will be a pleasure to her to see you at her table. think she will surpass herself to do you honor."

We shall see that, Simon, we shall see that!" said the engineer, towhom the announcement of a good breakfast could not be indifferent,fter his long walk.

Are you hungry, Mr. Starr?"

Ravenously hungry. My journey has given me an appetite. I came through

orrible weather."

Ah, it is raining up there," responded Simon Ford.

Yes, Simon, and the waters of the Forth are as rough as the sea."

Well, Mr. Starr, here it never rains. But I needn't describe to youll the advantages, which you know as well as myself. Here we are at theottage. That is the chief thing, and I again say you are welcome, sir."

imon Ford, followed by Harry, ushered their guest into the dwelling.ames Starr found himself in a large room lighted by numerous lamps, oneanging from the colored beams of the roof.

The soup is ready, wife," said Ford, "and it mustn't be kept waitingny more than Mr. Starr. He is as hungry as a miner, and he shallee that our boy doesn't let us want for anything in the cottage!y-the-bye, Harry," added the old overman, turning to his son, "JackRyan came here to see you."

I know, father. We met him in the Yarrow shaft."

He's an honest and a merry fellow," said Ford; "but he seems to beuite happy above ground. He hasn't the true miner's blood in his veins.it down, Mr. Starr, and have a good dinner, for we may not sup tillate."

s the engineer and his hosts were taking their places:

One moment, Simon," said James Starr. "Do you want me to eat with aood appetite?"

It will be doing us all possible honor, Mr. Starr," answered Ford.

Well, in order to eat heartily, I must not be at all anxious. Now Iave two questions to put to you."

Go on, sir."

Your letter told me of a communication which was to be of annteresting nature."




It is very interesting indeed."

To you?"

To you and to me, Mr. Starr. But I do not want to tell it you untilfter dinner, and on the very spot itself. Without that you would notelieve me."

Simon," resumed the engineer, "look me straight in the face. Annteresting communication? Yes. Good! I will not ask more," he added, asf he had read the reply in the old overman's eyes.

And the second question?" asked the latter.

Do you know, Simon, who the person is who can have written this?"nswered the engineer, handing him the anonymous letter.

ord took the letter and read it attentively. Then giving it to his son,Do you know the writing?" he asked.

No, father," replied Harry.

And had this letter the Aberfoyle postmark?" inquired Simon Ford.

Yes, like yours," replied James Starr.

What do you think of that, Harry?" said his father, his brow darkening.

I think, father," returned Harry, "that someone has had some interestn trying to prevent Mr. Starr from coming to the place where younvited him."

But who," exclaimed the old miner, "who could have possibly guessednough of my secret?" And Simon fell into a reverie, from which he wasroused by his wife.

Let us begin, Mr. Starr," she said. "The soup is already getting cold.on't think any more of that letter just now."

n the old woman's invitation, each drew in his chair, James Starrpposite to Madge--to do him honor--the father and son opposite to eachther. It was a good Scotch dinner. First they ate "hotchpotch," soupwith the meat swimming in capital broth. As old Simon said, his wifenew no rival in the art of preparing hotchpotch. It was the same withhe "cockyleeky," a cock stewed with leeks, which merited high praise.he whole was washed down with excellent ale, obtained from the bestrewery in Edinburgh.

ut the principal dish consisted of a "haggis," the national pudding,ade of meat and barley meal. This remarkable dish, which inspired theoet Burns with one of his best odes, shared the fate of all the goodhings in this world--it passed away like a dream.

adge received the sincere compliments of her guest. The dinnernded with cheese and oatcake, accompanied by a few small glasses ofusquebaugh," capital whisky, five and twenty years old--just Harry'sge. The repast lasted a good hour. James Starr and Simon Ford had notnly eaten much, but talked much too, chiefly of their past life in theld Aberfoyle mine.

arry had been rather silent. Twice he had left the table, and even theouse. He evidently felt uneasy since the incident of the stone, andwished to examine the environs of the cottage. The anonymous letter hadot contributed to reassure him.

Whilst he was absent, the engineer observed to Ford and his wife,




That's a fine lad you have there, my friends."

Yes, Mr. Starr, he is a good and affectionate son," replied the oldverman earnestly.

Is he happy with you in the cottage?"

He would not wish to leave us."

Don't you think of finding him a wife, some day?"

A wife for Harry," exclaimed Ford. "And who would it be? A girl from uponder, who would love merry-makings and dancing, who would prefer herlan to our mine! Harry wouldn't do it!"

Simon," said Madge, "you would not forbid that Harry should take awife."

I would forbid nothing," returned the old miner, "but there's no hurrybout that. Who knows but we may find one for him--"

arry re-entered at that moment, and Simon Ford was silent.

When Madge rose from the table, all followed her example, and seated

hemselves at the door of the cottage. "Well, Simon," said the engineer,I am ready to hear you."

Mr. Starr," responded Ford, "I do not need your ears, but your legs.re you quite rested?"

Quite rested and quite refreshed, Simon. I am ready to go with youwherever you like."

Harry," said Simon Ford, turning to his son, "light our safety lamps."

Are you going to take safety lamps!" exclaimed James Starr, inmazement, knowing that there was no fear of explosions of fire-damp in pit quite empty of coal.

Yes, Mr. Starr, it will be prudent."

My good Simon, won't you propose next to put me in a miner's dress?"

Not just yet, sir, not just yet!" returned the old overman, hiseep-set eyes gleaming strangely.

arry soon reappeared, carrying three safety lamps. He handed one ofhese to the engineer, the other to his father, and kept the thirdanging from his left hand, whilst his right was armed with a longtick.

Forward!" said Simon Ford, taking up a strong pick, which was leaning

gainst the wall of the cottage.

Forward!" echoed the engineer. "Good-by, Madge."

GOD speed you!" responded the good woman.

A good supper, wife, do you hear?" exclaimed Ford. "We shall be hungrywhen we come back, and will do it justice!"

HAPTER V. SOME STRANGE PHENOMENA




ANY superstitious beliefs exist both in the Highlands and Lowlands ofcotland. Of course the mining population must furnish its contingentf legends and fables to this mythological repertory. If the fields areeopled with imaginary beings, either good or bad, with much more reasonust the dark mines be haunted to their lowest depths. Who shakes theeam during tempestuous nights? who puts the miners on the track of ans yet unworked vein? who lights the fire-damp, and presides over theerrible explosions? who but some spirit of the mine? This, at least,was the opinion commonly spread among the superstitious Scotch.

n the first rank of the believers in the supernatural in the Dochartit figured Jack Ryan, Harry's friend. He was the great partisan ofll these superstitions. All these wild stories were turned by him intoongs, which earned him great applause in the winter evenings.

ut Jack Ryan was not alone in his belief. His comrades affirmed, noess strongly, that the Aberfoyle pits were haunted, and that certaintrange beings were seen there frequently, just as in the Highlands. Toear them talk, it would have been more extraordinary if nothing of theind appeared. Could there indeed be a better place than a dark and deepoal mine for the freaks of fairies, elves, goblins, and other actorsn the fantastical dramas? The scenery was all ready, why should not theupernatural personages come there to play their parts?

o reasoned Jack Ryan and his comrades in the Aberfoyle mines. We haveaid that the different pits communicated with each other by means ofong subterranean galleries. Thus there existed beneath the county oftirling a vast tract, full of burrows, tunnels, bored with caves,nd perforated with shafts, a subterranean labyrinth, which might beompared to an enormous ant-hill.

iners, though belonging to different pits, often met, when going to oreturning from their work. Consequently there was a constant opportunityf exchanging talk, and circulating the stories which had their originn the mine, from one pit to another. These accounts were transmittedwith marvelous rapidity, passing from mouth to mouth, and gaining inwonder as they went.

wo men, however, better educated and with more practical minds than the

est, had always resisted this temptation. They in no degree believedn the intervention of spirits, elves, or goblins. These two were Simonord and his son. And they proved it by continuing to inhabit the dismalrypt, after the desertion of the Dochart pit. Perhaps good Madge, likevery Highland woman, had some leaning towards the supernatural. Buthe had to repeat all these stories to herself, and so she did, mostonscientiously, so as not to let the old traditions be lost.

ven had Simon and Harry Ford been as credulous as their companions,hey would not have abandoned the mine to the imps and fairies. For tenears, without missing a single day, obstinate and immovable in theironvictions, the father and son took their picks, their sticks, andheir lamps. They went about searching, sounding the rock with a sharplow, listening if it would return a favor-able sound. So long as the

oundings had not been pushed to the granite of the primary formation,he Fords were agreed that the search, unsuccessful to-day, mightucceed to-morrow, and that it ought to be resumed. They spent theirwhole life in endeavoring to bring Aberfoyle back to its formerrosperity. If the father died before the hour of success, the son waso go on with the task alone.

t was during these excursions that Harry was more particularly strucky certain phenomena, which he vainly sought to explain. Several times,while walking along some narrow cross-alley, he seemed to hear soundsimilar to those which would be produced by violent blows of a pickaxgainst the wall.

arry hastened to seek the cause of this mysterious work. The tunnel




was empty. The light from the young miner's lamp, thrown on the wall,evealed no trace of any recent work with pick or crowbar. Harry wouldhen ask himself if it was not the effect of some acoustic illusion, orome strange and fantastic echo. At other times, on suddenly throwing aright light into a suspicious-looking cleft in the rock, he thought heaw a shadow. He rushed forward. Nothing, and there was no opening toermit a human being to evade his pursuit!

wice in one month, Harry, whilst visiting the west end of the pit,istinctly heard distant reports, as if some miner had exploded a chargef dynamite. The second time, after many careful researches, he foundhat a pillar had just been blown up.

y the light of his lamp, Harry carefully examined the place attackedy the explosion. It had not been made in a simple embankment of stones,ut in a mass of schist, which had penetrated to this depth in the coaltratum. Had the object of the explosion been to discover a new vein? Orad someone wished simply to destroy this portion of the mine? Thuse questioned, and when he made known this occurrence to his father,either could the old overman nor he himself answer the question in aatisfactory way.

It is very queer," Harry often repeated. "The presence of an unknowneing in the mine seems impossible, and yet there can be no doubt

bout it. Does someone besides ourselves wish to find out if a seamet exists? Or, rather, has he attempted to destroy what remains of theberfoyle mines? But for what reason? I will find that out, if it shouldost me my life!"

fortnight before the day on which Harry Ford guided the engineerhrough the labyrinth of the Dochart pit, he had been on the point ofttaining the object of his search. He was going over the southwest endf the mine, with a large lantern in his hand. All at once, it seemedo him that a light was suddenly extinguished, some hundred feet beforeim, at the end of a narrow passage cut obliquely through the rock. Hearted forward.

is search was in vain. As Harry would not admit a supernaturalxplanation for a physical occurrence, he concluded that certainly

ome strange being prowled about in the pit. But whatever he could do,earching with the greatest care, scrutinizing every crevice in theallery, he found nothing for his trouble.

f Jack Ryan and the other superstitious fellows in the mine had seenhese lights, they would, without fail, have called them supernatural,ut Harry did not dream of doing so, nor did his father. And when theyalked over these phenomena, evidently due to a physical cause, "Myad," the old man would say, "we must wait. It will all be explainedome day."

owever, it must be observed that, hitherto, neither Harry nor hisather had ever been exposed to any act of violence. If the stone whichad fallen at the feet of James Starr had been thrown by the hand

f some ill-disposed person, it was the first criminal act of thatescription.

ames Starr was of opinion that the stone had become detached fromhe roof of the gallery; but Harry would not admit of such a simplexplanation. According to him, the stone had not fallen, it had beenhrown; for otherwise, without rebounding, it could never have described trajectory as it did.

arry saw in it a direct attempt against himself and his father, or evengainst the engineer.




HAPTER VI. SIMON FORD'S EXPERIMENT

HE old clock in the cottage struck one as James Starr and his twoompanions went out. A dim light penetrated through the ventilatinghaft into the glade. Harry's lamp was not necessary here, but itwould very soon be of use, for the old overman was about to conduct thengineer to the very end of the Dochart pit.

fter following the principal gallery for a distance of two miles,he three explorers--for, as will be seen, this was a regularxploration--arrived at the entrance of a narrow tunnel. It was like aave, the roof of which rested on woodwork, covered with white moss. Itollowed very nearly the line traced by the course of the river Forth,ifteen hundred feet above.

So we are going to the end of the last vein?" said James Starr.

Ay! You know the mine well still."

Well, Simon," returned the engineer, "it will be difficult to gourther than that, if I don't mistake."

Yes, indeed, Mr. Starr. That was where our picks tore out the last bitf coal in the seam. I remember it as if it were yesterday. I myselfave that last blow, and it re-echoed in my heart more dismally than onhe rock. Only sandstone and schist were round us after that, and whenhe truck rolled towards the shaft, I followed, with my heart as full ashough it were a funeral. It seemed to me that the soul of the mine wasoing with it."

he gravity with which the old man uttered these words impressed thengineer, who was not far from sharing his sentiments. They were thosef the sailor who leaves his disabled vessel--of the proprietor who seeshe house of his ancestors pulled down. He pressed Ford's hand; but nowhe latter seized that of the engineer, and, wringing it:

That day we were all of us mistaken," he exclaimed. "No! The old mine

was not dead. It was not a corpse that the miners abandoned; and I dareo assert, Mr. Starr, that its heart beats still."

Speak, Ford! Have you discovered a new vein?" cried the engineer,nable to contain himself. "I know you have! Your letter could meanothing else."

Mr. Starr," said Simon Ford, "I did not wish to tell any man butourself."

And you did quite right, Ford. But tell me how, by what signs, are youure?"

Listen, sir!" resumed Simon. "It is not a seam that I have found."

What is it, then?"

Only positive proof that such a seam exists."

And the proof?"

Could fire-damp issue from the bowels of the earth if coal was nothere to produce it?"

No, certainly not!" replied the engineer. "No coal, no fire-damp. Noffects without a cause."

Just as no smoke without fire."




And have you recognized the presence of light carburetted hydrogen?"

An old miner could not be deceived," answered Ford. "I have met withur old enemy, the fire-damp!"

But suppose it was another gas," said Starr. "Firedamp is almostwithout smell, and colorless. It only really betrays its presence by anxplosion."

Mr. Starr," said Simon Ford, "will you let me tell you what I haveone? Harry had once or twice observed something remarkable in hisxcursions to the west end of the mine. Fire, which suddenly went out,ometimes appeared along the face of the rock or on the embankment ofhe further galleries. How those flames were lighted, I could not andannot say. But they were evidently owing to the presence of fire-damp,nd to me fire-damp means a vein of coal."

Did not these fires cause any explosion?" asked the engineer quickly.

Yes, little partial explosions," replied Ford, "such as I used to causeyself when I wished to ascertain the presence of fire-damp. Do youemember how formerly it was the custom to try to prevent explosions

efore our good genius, Humphry Davy, invented his safety-lamp?"

Yes," replied James Starr. "You mean what the 'monk,' as the men calledim, used to do. But I have never seen him in the exercise of his duty."

Indeed, Mr. Starr, you are too young, in spite of your five-and-fiftyears, to have seen that. But I, ten years older, often saw the lastmonk' working in the mine. He was called so because he wore a long robeike a monk. His proper name was the 'fireman.' At that time there waso other means of destroying the bad gas but by dispersing it in littlexplosions, before its buoyancy had collected it in too great quantitiesn the heights of the galleries. The monk, as we called him, with hisace masked, his head muffled up, all his body tightly wrapped in ahick felt cloak, crawled along the ground. He could breathe down there,when the air was pure; and with his right hand he waved above his head

blazing torch. When the firedamp had accumulated in the air, so as toorm a detonating mixture, the explosion occurred without being fatal,nd, by often renewing this operation, catastrophes were prevented.ometimes the 'monk' was injured or killed in his work, then anotherook his place. This was done in all mines until the Davy lamp wasniversally adopted. But I knew the plan, and by its means I discoveredhe presence of firedamp and consequently that of a new seam of coal inhe Dochart pit."

ll that the old overman had related of the so-called "monk" orfireman" was perfectly true. The air in the galleries of mines wasormerly always purified in the way described.

ire-damp, marsh-gas, or carburetted hydrogen, is colorless, almost

centless; it burns with a blue flame, and makes respiration impossible.he miner could not live in a place filled with this injurious gas, anyore than one could live in a gasometer full of common gas. Moreover,ire-damp, as well as the latter, a mixture of inflammable gases, forms detonating mixture as soon as the air unites with it in a proportionf eight, and perhaps even five to the hundred. When this mixture isighted by any cause, there is an explosion, almost always followed by arightful catastrophe.

s they walked on, Simon Ford told the engineer all that he had doneo attain his object; how he was sure that the escape of fire-dampook place at the very end of the farthest gallery in its western part,ecause he had provoked small and partial explosions, or rather littlelames, enough to show the nature of the gas, which escaped in a small




et, but with a continuous flow.

n hour after leaving the cottage, James Starr and his two companionsad gone a distance of four miles. The engineer, urged by anxiety andope, walked on without noticing the length of the way. He ponderedver all that the old miner had told him, and mentally weighed all therguments which the latter had given in support of his belief. He agreedwith him in thinking that the continued emission of carburetted hydrogenertainly showed the existence of a new coal-seam. If it had been merely sort of pocket, full of gas, as it is sometimes found amongst theock, it would soon have been empty, and the phenomenon have ceased.ut far from that. According to Simon Ford, the fire-damp escapedncessantly, and from that fact the existence of an important vein mighte considered certain. Consequently, the riches of the Dochart pit wereot entirely exhausted. The chief question now was, whether this waserely a vein which would yield comparatively little, or a bed occupying large extent.

arry, who preceded his father and the engineer, stopped.

Here we are!" exclaimed the old miner. "At last, thank Heaven! youre here, Mr. Starr, and we shall soon know." The old overman's voicerembled slightly.

Be calm, my man!" said the engineer. "I am as excited as you are, butwe must not lose time."

he gallery at this end of the pit widened into a sort of dark cave.o shaft had been pierced in this part, and the gallery, bored into theowels of the earth, had no direct communication with the surface of thearth.

ames Starr, with intense interest, examined the place in which theywere standing. On the walls of the cavern the marks of the pick couldtill be seen, and even holes in which the rock had been blasted, nearhe termination of the working. The schist was excessively hard, and itad not been necessary to bank up the end of the tunnel where the worksad come to an end. There the vein had failed, between the schist and

he tertiary sandstone. From this very place had been extracted the lastiece of coal from the Dochart pit.

We must attack the dyke," said Ford, raising his pick; "for at thether side of the break, at more or less depth, we shall assuredly findhe vein, the existence of which I assert."

And was it on the surface of these rocks that you found out theire-damp?" asked James Starr.

Just there, sir," returned Ford, "and I was able to light it only byringing my lamp near to the cracks in the rock. Harry has done it aswell as I."

At what height?" asked Starr.

Ten feet from the ground," replied Harry.

ames Starr had seated himself on a rock. After critically inhaling their of the cavern, he gazed at the two miners, almost as if doubtingheir words, decided as they were. In fact, carburetted hydrogen is notompletely scentless, and the engineer, whose sense of smell was veryeen, was astonished that it had not revealed the presence of thexplosive gas. At any rate, if the gas had mingled at all with theurrounding air, it could only be in a very small stream. There was noanger of an explosion, and they might without fear open the safety lampo try the experiment, just as the old miner had done before.




What troubled James Starr was, not lest too much gas mingled with their, but lest there should be little or none.

Could they have been mistaken?" he murmured. "No: these men know whathey are about. And yet--"

e waited, not without some anxiety, until Simon Ford's phenomenonhould have taken place. But just then it seemed that Harry, likeimself, had remarked the absence of the characteristic odor ofire-damp; for he exclaimed in an altered voice, "Father, I should sayhe gas was no longer escaping through the cracks!"

No longer!" cried the old miner--and, pressing his lips tight together,e snuffed the air several times.

hen, all at once, with a sudden movement, "Hand me your lamp, Harry,"e said.

ord took the lamp with a trembling hand. He drew off the wire gauzease which surrounded the wick, and the flame burned in the open air.

s they had expected, there was no explosion, but, what was moreerious, there was not even the slight crackling which indicates theresence of a small quantity of firedamp. Simon took the stick which

arry was holding, fixed his lamp to the end of it, and raised it highbove his head, up to where the gas, by reason of its buoyancy, wouldaturally accumulate. The flame of the lamp, burning straight and clear,evealed no trace of the carburetted hydrogen.

Close to the wall," said the engineer.

Yes," responded Ford, carrying the lamp to that part of the wall atwhich he and his son had, the evening before, proved the escape of gas.

he old miner's arm trembled whilst he tried to hoist the lamp up. "Takey place, Harry," said he.

arry took the stick, and successively presented the lamp to theifferent fissures in the rock; but he shook his head, for of that

light crackling peculiar to escaping fire-damp he heard nothing. Therewas no flame. Evidently not a particle of gas was escaping through theock.

Nothing!" cried Ford, clenching his fist with a gesture rather of angerhan disappointment.

cry escaped Harry.

What's the matter?" asked Starr quickly.

Someone has stopped up the cracks in the schist!"

Is that true?" exclaimed the old miner.

Look, father!" Harry was not mistaken. The obstruction of the fissureswas clearly visible by the light of the lamp. It had been recently donewith lime, leaving on the rock a long whitish mark, badly concealed withoal dust.

It's he!" exclaimed Harry. "It can only be he!"

He?" repeated James Starr in amazement.

Yes!" returned the young man, "that mysterious being who haunts ouromain, for whom I have watched a hundred times without being able toet at him--the author, we may now be certain, of that letter which was




ntended to hinder you from coming to see my father, Mr. Starr, and whoinally threw that stone at us in the gallery of the Yarrow shaft! Ah!here's no doubt about it; there is a man's hand in all that!"

arry spoke with such energy that conviction came instantly and fullyo the engineer's mind. As to the old overman, he was already convinced.esides, there they were in the presence of an undeniable fact--thetopping-up of cracks through which gas had escaped freely the nightefore.

Take your pick, Harry," cried Ford; "mount on my shoulders, my lad! am still strong enough to bear you!" The young man understood in annstant. His father propped himself up against the rock. Harry got uponis shoulders, so that with his pick he could reach the line of theissure. Then with quick sharp blows he attacked it. Almost directlyfterwards a slight sound was heard, like champagne escaping from aottle--a sound commonly expressed by the word "puff."

arry again seized his lamp, and held it to the opening. There was slight report; and a little red flame, rather blue at its outline,lickered over the rock like a Will-o'-the-Wisp.

arry leaped to the ground, and the old overman, unable to contain hisoy, grasped the engineer's hands, exclaiming, "Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!

r. Starr. The fire-damp burns! the vein is there!"

HAPTER VII. NEW ABERFOYLE

HE old overman's experiment had succeeded. Firedamp, it is well known,s only generated in coal seams; therefore the existence of a vein ofrecious combustible could no longer be doubted. As to its size anduality, that must be determined later.

Yes," thought James Starr, "behind that wall lies a carboniferous bed,ndiscovered by our soundings. It is vexatious that all the apparatusf the mine, deserted for ten years, must be set up anew. Never mind. We

ave found the vein which was thought to be exhausted, and this time ithall be worked to the end!"

Well, Mr. Starr," asked Ford, "what do you think of our discovery? Was wrong to trouble you? Are you sorry to have paid this visit to theochart pit?"

No, no, my old friend!" answered Starr. "We have not lost our time;ut we shall be losing it now, if we do not return immediately to theottage. To-morrow we will come back here. We will blast this wallwith dynamite. We will lay open the new vein, and after a series ofoundings, if the seam appears to be large, I will form a new Aberfoyleompany, to the great satisfaction of the old shareholders. Before threeonths have passed, the first corves full of coal will have been taken

rom the new vein."

Well said, sir!" cried Simon Ford. "The old mine will grow young again,ike a widow who remarries! The bustle of the old days will soon beginwith the blows of the pick, and mattock, blasts of powder, rumbling ofwagons, neighing of horses, creaking of machines! I shall see it allgain! I hope, Mr. Starr, that you will not think me too old to resumey duties of overman?"

No, Simon, no indeed! You wear better than I do, my old friend!"

And, sir, you shall be our viewer again. May the new working lastor many years, and pray Heaven I shall have the consolation of dyingwithout seeing the end of it!"




he old miner was overflowing with joy. James Starr fully entered intot; but he let Ford rave for them both. Harry alone remained thoughtful.o his memory recurred the succession of singular, inexplicableircumstances attending the discovery of the new bed. It made him uneasybout the future.

n hour afterwards, James Starr and his two companions were back inhe cottage. The engineer supped with good appetite, listening withatisfaction to all the plans unfolded by the old overman; and had itot been for his excitement about the next day's work, he would neverave slept better than in the perfect stillness of the cottage.

he following day, after a substantial breakfast, James Starr, Simonord, Harry, and even Madge herself, took the road already traversedhe day before. All looked like regular miners. They carried differentools, and some dynamite with which to blast the rock. Harry, besides aarge lantern, took a safety lamp, which would burn for twelve hours.t was more than was necessary for the journey there and back, includinghe time for the working--supposing a working was possible.

To work! to work!" shouted Ford, when the party reached the further endf the passage; and he grasped a heavy crowbar and brandished it.

Stop one instant," said Starr. "Let us see if any change has takenlace, and if the fire-damp still escapes through the crevices."

You are right, Mr. Starr," said Harry. "Whoever stopped it up yesterdayay have done it again to-day!"

adge, seated on a rock, carefully observed the excavation, and the wallwhich was to be blasted.

t was found that everything was just as they left it. The crevicesad undergone no alteration; the carburetted hydrogen still filteredhrough, though in a small stream, which was no doubt because it had had free passage since the day before. As the quantity was so small, itould not have formed an explosive mixture with the air inside. Jamestarr and his companions could therefore proceed in security. Besides,

he air grew purer by rising to the heights of the Dochart pit; and theire-damp, spreading through the atmosphere, would not be strong enougho make any explosion.

To work, then!" repeated Ford; and soon the rock flew in splintersnder his skillful blows. The break was chiefly composed ofudding-stone, interspersed with sandstone and schist, such as is mostften met with between the coal veins. James Starr picked up some of theieces, and examined them carefully, hoping to discover some trace ofoal.

tarr having chosen the place where the holes were to be drilled, theywere rapidly bored by Harry. Some cartridges of dynamite were put intohem. As soon as the long, tarred safety match was laid, it was lighted

n a level with the ground. James Starr and his companions then went offo some distance.

Oh! Mr. Starr," said Simon Ford, a prey to agitation, which he did notttempt to conceal, "never, no, never has my old heart beaten so quickefore! I am longing to get at the vein!"

Patience, Simon!" responded the engineer. "You don't mean to say thatou think you are going to find a passage all ready open behind thatyke?"

Excuse me, sir," answered the old overman; "but of course I think so!f there was good luck in the way Harry and I discovered this place, whyhouldn't the good luck go on?"




s he spoke, came the explosion. A sound as of thunder rolled throughhe labyrinth of subterranean galleries. Starr, Madge, Harry, and Simonord hastened towards the spot.

Mr. Starr! Mr. Starr!" shouted the overman. "Look! the door is brokenpen!"

ord's comparison was justified by the appearance of an excavation,he depth of which could not be calculated. Harry was about to springhrough the opening; but the engineer, though excessively surprised toind this cavity, held him back. "Allow time for the air in there to geture," said he.

Yes! beware of the foul air!" said Simon.

quarter of an hour was passed in anxious waiting. The lantern was thenastened to the end of a stick, and introduced into the cave, where itontinued to burn with unaltered brilliancy. "Now then, Harry, go," saidtarr, "and we will follow you."

he opening made by the dynamite was sufficiently large to allow aan to pass through. Harry, lamp in hand, entered unhesitatingly, andisappeared in the darkness. His father, mother, and James Starr waited

n silence. A minute--which seemed to them much longer--passed. Harryid not reappear, did not call. Gazing into the opening, Jamestarr could not even see the light of his lamp, which ought to havelluminated the dark cavern.

ad the ground suddenly given way under Harry's feet? Had the younginer fallen into some crevice? Could his voice no longer reach hisompanions?

he old overman, dead to their remonstrances, was about to enter thepening, when a light appeared, dim at first, but gradually growingrighter, and Harry's voice was heard shouting, "Come, Mr. Starr! come,ather! The road to New Aberfoyle is open!"

f, by some superhuman power, engineers could have raised in a block,

thousand feet thick, all that portion of the terrestrial crust whichupports the lakes, rivers, gulfs, and territories of the counties oftirling, Dumbarton, and Renfrew, they would have found, under thatnormous lid, an immense excavation, to which but one other in theworld can be compared--the celebrated Mammoth caves of Kentucky. Thisxcavation was composed of several hundred divisions of all sizes andhapes. It might be called a hive with numberless ranges of cells,apriciously arranged, but a hive on a vast scale, and which, insteadf bees, might have lodged all the ichthyosauri, megatheriums, andterodactyles of the geological epoch.

labyrinth of galleries, some higher than the most lofty cathedrals,thers like cloisters, narrow and winding--these following aorizontal line, those on an incline or running obliquely in all

irections--connected the caverns and allowed free communication betweenhem.

he pillars sustaining the vaulted roofs, whose curves allowed of everytyle, the massive walls between the passages, the naves themselvesn this layer of secondary formation, were composed of sandstone andchistous rocks. But tightly packed between these useless strata ranaluable veins of coal, as if the black blood of this strange mine hadirculated through their tangled network. These fields extended fortyiles north and south, and stretched even under the Caledoniananal. The importance of this bed could not be calculated untilfter soundings, but it would certainly surpass those of Cardiff andewcastle.




We may add that the working of this mine would be singularly facilitatedy the fantastic dispositions of the secondary earths; for by annaccountable retreat of the mineral matter at the geological epoch,when the mass was solidifying, nature had already multiplied thealleries and tunnels of New Aberfoyle.

es, nature alone! It might at first have been supposed that some worksbandoned for centuries had been discovered afresh. Nothing of the sort.o one would have deserted such riches. Human termites had never gnawedway this part of the Scottish subsoil; nature herself had done itll. But, we repeat, it could be compared to nothing but the celebratedammoth caves, which, in an extent of more than twenty miles, containwo hundred and twenty-six avenues, eleven lakes, seven rivers, eightataracts, thirty-two unfathomable wells, and fifty-seven domes, somef which are more than four hundred and fifty feet in height. Likehese caves, New Aberfoyle was not the work of men, but the work of thereator.

uch was this new domain, of matchless wealth, the discovery of whichelonged entirely to the old overman. Ten years' sojourn in the desertedine, an uncommon pertinacity in research, perfect faith, sustained by marvelous mining instinct--all these qualities together led him toucceed where so many others had failed. Why had the soundings madender the direction of James Starr during the last years of the working

topped just at that limit, on the very frontier of the new mine? Thatwas all chance, which takes great part in researches of this kind.

owever that might be, there was, under the Scottish subsoil, what mighte called a subterranean county, which, to be habitable, needed only theays of the sun, or, for want of that, the light of a special planet.

Water had collected in various hollows, forming vast ponds, or ratherakes larger than Loch Katrine, lying just above them. Of course thewaters of these lakes had no movement of currents or tides; no oldastle was reflected there; no birch or oak trees waved on their banks.nd yet these deep lakes, whose mirror-like surface was never ruffled by breeze, would not be without charm by the light of some electric star,nd, connected by a string of canals, would well complete the geographyf this strange domain.

lthough unfit for any vegetable production, the place could benhabited by a whole population. And who knows but that in this steadyemperature, in the depths of the mines of Aberfoyle, as well as inhose of Newcastle, Alloa, or Cardiff--when their contents shall haveeen exhausted--who knows but that the poorer classes of Great Britainwill some day find a refuge?

HAPTER VIII. EXPLORING

T Harry's call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the

arrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with theew mine. They found themselves at the beginning of a tolerably wideallery. One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand ofan, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a newein. The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had noteen transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which evenhe oldest miners in the county had ever known.

o! It was merely that the geological layers had left this passage whenhe secondary earths were in course of formation. Perhaps some torrentad formerly dashed through it; but now it was as dry as if it had beenut some thousand feet lower, through granite rocks. At the same time,he air circulated freely, which showed that certain natural ventslaced it in communication with the exterior atmosphere.




his observation, made by the engineer, was correct, and it was evidenthat the ventilation of the new mine would be easily managed. As to theire-damp which had lately filtered through the schist, it seemed toave been contained in a pocket now empty, and it was certain thathe atmosphere of the gallery was quite free from it. However, Harryrudently carried only the safety lamp, which would insure light forwelve hours.

ames Starr and his companions now felt perfectly happy. All theirwishes were satisfied. There was nothing but coal around them. A sortf emotion kept them silent; even Simon Ford restrained himself. His joyverflowed, not in long phrases, but in short ejaculations.

t was perhaps imprudent to venture so far into the crypt. Pooh! theyever thought of how they were to get back.

he gallery was practicable, not very winding. They met with no noxiousxhalations, nor did any chasm bar the path. There was no reason fortopping for a whole hour; James Starr, Madge, Harry, and Simon Fordwalked on, though there was nothing to show them what was the exactirection of this unknown tunnel.

nd they would no doubt have gone farther still, if they had not

uddenly come to the end of the wide road which they had followed sinceheir entrance into the mine.

he gallery ended in an enormous cavern, neither the height nor depthf which could be calculated. At what altitude arched the roof of thisxcavation--at what distance was its opposite wall--the darkness totallyoncealed; but by the light of the lamp the explorers could discoverhat its dome covered a vast extent of still water--pond or lake--whoseicturesque rocky banks were lost in obscurity.

Halt!" exclaimed Ford, stopping suddenly. "Another step, and perhaps wehall fall into some fathomless pit."

Let us rest awhile, then, my friends," returned the engineer. "Besides,we ought to be thinking of returning to the cottage."

Our lamp will give light for another ten hours, sir," said Harry.

Well, let us make a halt," replied Starr; "I confess my legs have needf a rest. And you, Madge, don't you feel tired after so long a walk?"

Not over much, Mr. Starr," replied the sturdy Scotchwoman; "we haveeen accustomed to explore the old Aberfoyle mine for whole daysogether."

Tired? nonsense!" interrupted Simon Ford; "Madge could go ten timess far, if necessary. But once more, Mr. Starr, wasn't my communicationworth your trouble in coming to hear it? Just dare to say no, Mr. Starr,are to say no!"

Well, my old friend, I haven't felt so happy for a long while!" repliedhe engineer; "the small part of this marvelous mine that we havexplored seems to show that its extent is very considerable, at least inength."

In width and in depth, too, Mr. Starr!" returned Simon Ford.

That we shall know later."

And I can answer for it! Trust to the instinct of an old miner! It hasever deceived me!"




I wish to believe you, Simon," replied the engineer, smiling. "As fars I can judge from this short exploration, we possess the elements of aworking which will last for centuries!"

Centuries!" exclaimed Simon Ford; "I believe you, sir! A thousand yearsnd more will pass before the last bit of coal is taken out of our newine!"

Heaven grant it!" returned Starr. "As to the quality of the coal whichrops out of these walls?"

Superb! Mr. Starr, superb!" answered Ford; "just look at it yourself!"

nd so saying, with his pick he struck off a fragment of the black rock.

Look! look!" he repeated, holding it close to his lamp; "the surface ofhis piece of coal is shining! We have here fat coal, rich in bituminousatter; and see how it comes in pieces, almost without dust! Ah, Mr.tarr! twenty years ago this seam would have entered into a strongompetition with Swansea and Cardiff! Well, stokers will quarrel for ittill, and if it costs little to extract it from the mine, it will notell at a less price outside."

Indeed," said Madge, who had taken the fragment of coal and was

xamining it with the air of a connoisseur; "that's good quality ofoal. Carry it home, Simon, carry it back to the cottage! I want thisirst piece of coal to burn under our kettle."

Well said, wife!" answered the old overman, "and you shall see that Im not mistaken."

Mr. Starr," asked Harry, "have you any idea of the probable directionf this long passage which we have been following since our entrancento the new mine?"

No, my lad," replied the engineer; "with a compass I could perhaps findut its general bearing; but without a compass I am here like a sailorn open sea, in the midst of fogs, when there is no sun by which toalculate his position."

No doubt, Mr. Starr," replied Ford; "but pray don't compare ourosition with that of the sailor, who has everywhere and always an abyssnder his feet! We are on firm ground here, and need never be afraid ofoundering."

I won't tease you, then, old Simon," answered James Starr. "Far be itrom me even in jest to depreciate the New Aberfoyle mine by an unjustomparison! I only meant to say one thing, and that is that we don'tnow where we are."

We are in the subsoil of the county of Stirling, Mr. Starr," repliedimon Ford; "and that I assert as if--"

Listen!" said Harry, interrupting the old man. All listened, as theoung miner was doing. His ears, which were very sharp, had caught dull sound, like a distant murmur. His companions were not long inearing it themselves. It was above their heads, a sort of rollingound, in which though it was so feeble, the successive CRESCENDO andIMINUENDO could be distinctly heard.

ll four stood for some minutes, their ears on the stretch, withoutttering a word. All at once Simon Ford exclaimed, "Well, I declare! Arerucks already running on the rails of New Aberfoyle?"

Father," replied Harry, "it sounds to me just like the noise made bywaves rolling on the sea shore."




We can't be under the sea though!" cried the old overman.

No," said the engineer, "but it is not impossible that we should bender Loch Katrine."

The roof cannot have much thickness just here, if the noise of thewater is perceptible."

Very little indeed," answered James Starr, "and that is the reason thisavern is so huge."

You must be right, Mr. Starr," said Harry.

Besides, the weather is so bad outside," resumed Starr, "that thewaters of the loch must be as rough as those of the Firth of Forth."

Well! what does it matter after all?" returned Simon Ford; "the seamwon't be any the worse because it is under a loch. It would not behe first time that coal has been looked for under the very bed of thecean! When we have to work under the bottom of the Caledonian Canal,where will be the harm?"

Well said, Simon," cried the engineer, who could not restrain a smile

t the overman's enthusiasm; "let us cut our trenches under the watersf the sea! Let us bore the bed of the Atlantic like a strainer; lets with our picks join our brethren of the United States throughhe subsoil of the ocean! let us dig into the center of the globe ifecessary, to tear out the last scrap of coal."

Are you joking, Mr. Starr?" asked Ford, with a pleased but slightlyuspicious look.

I joking, old man? no! but you are so enthusiastic that you carrye away into the regions of impossibility! Come, let us return to theeality, which is sufficiently beautiful; leave our picks here, where weay find them another day, and let's take the road back to the cottage."

othing more could be done for the time. Later, the engineer,

ccompanied by a brigade of miners, supplied with lamps and allecessary tools, would resume the exploration of New Aberfoyle. It wasow time to return to the Dochart pit. The road was easy, the galleryunning nearly straight through the rock up to the orifice opened by theynamite, so there was no fear of their losing themselves.

ut as James Starr was proceeding towards the gallery Simon Ford stoppedim.

Mr. Starr," said he, "you see this immense cavern, this subterraneanake, whose waters bathe this strand at our feet? Well! it is to thislace I mean to change my dwelling, here I will build a new cottage,nd if some brave fellows will follow my example, before a year is overhere will be one town more inside old England."

ames Starr, smiling approval of Ford's plans, pressed his hand, and allhree, preceding Madge, re-entered the gallery, on their way back tohe Dochart pit. For the first mile no incident occurred. Harry walkedirst, holding his lamp above his head. He carefully followed therincipal gallery, without ever turning aside into the narrow tunnelswhich radiated to the right and left. It seemed as if the returning waso be accomplished as easily as the going, when an unexpected accidentccurred which rendered the situation of the explorers very serious.

ust at a moment when Harry was raising his lamp there came a rush ofir, as if caused by the flapping of invisible wings. The lamp escapedrom his hands, fell on the rocky ground, and was broken to pieces.




ames Starr and his companions were suddenly plunged in absolutearkness. All the oil of the lamp was spilt, and it was of no furtherse. "Well, Harry," cried his father, "do you want us all to break ourecks on the way back to the cottage?"

arry did not answer. He wondered if he ought to suspect the hand of aysterious being in this last accident? Could there possibly existn these depths an enemy whose unaccountable antagonism would one dayreate serious difficulties? Had someone an interest in defending theew coal field against any attempt at working it? In truth that seemedbsurd, yet the facts spoke for themselves, and they accumulated in such way as to change simple presumptions into certainties.

n the meantime the explorers' situation was bad enough. They had now,n the midst of black darkness, to follow the passage leading to theochart pit for nearly five miles. There they would still have an hour'swalk before reaching the cottage.

Come along," said Simon Ford. "We have no time to lose. We must gropeur way along, like blind men. There's no fear of losing our way. Theunnels which open off our road are only just like those in a molehill,nd by following the chief gallery we shall of course reach the openingwe got in at. After that, it is the old mine. We know that, and it won'te the first time that Harry and I have found ourselves there in the

ark. Besides, there we shall find the lamps that we left. Forward then!arry, go first. Mr. Starr, follow him. Madge, you go next, and I willring up the rear. Above everything, don't let us get separated."

ll complied with the old overman's instructions. As he said, by gropingarefully, they could not mistake the way. It was only necessary to makehe hands take the place of the eyes, and to trust to their instinct,which had with Simon Ford and his son become a second nature.

ames Starr and his companions walked on in the order agreed. They didot speak, but it was not for want of thinking. It became evident thathey had an adversary. But what was he, and how were they to defendhemselves against these mysteriously-prepared attacks? Theseisquieting ideas crowded into their brains. However, this was not theoment to get discouraged.

arry, his arms extended, advanced with a firm step, touching first onend then the other side of the passage.

f a cleft or side opening presented itself, he felt with his handhat it was not the main way; either the cleft was too shallow, or thepening too narrow, and he thus kept in the right road.

n darkness through which the eye could not in the slightest degreeierce, this difficult return lasted two hours. By reckoning the timeince they started, taking into consideration that the walking had noteen rapid, Starr calculated that he and his companions were near thepening. In fact, almost immediately, Harry stopped.

Have we got to the end of the gallery?" asked Simon Ford.

Yes," answered the young miner.

Well! have you not found the hole which connects New Aberfoyle with theochart pit?"

No," replied Harry, whose impatient hands met with nothing but a solidwall.

he old overman stepped forward, and himself felt the schistous rock. Ary escaped him.

ither the explorers had strayed from the right path on their return,




r the narrow orifice, broken in the rock by the dynamite, had beenecently stopped up. James Starr and his companions were prisoners inew Aberfoyle.

HAPTER IX. THE FIRE-MAIDENS

WEEK after the events just related had taken place, James Starr'sriends had become very anxious. The engineer had disappeared, and noeason could be brought forward to explain his absence. They learnt, byuestioning his servant, that he had embarked at Granton Pier. But fromhat time there were no traces of James Starr. Simon Ford's letter hadequested secrecy, and he had said nothing of his departure for theberfoyle mines.

herefore in Edinburgh nothing was talked of but the unaccountablebsence of the engineer. Sir W. Elphiston, the President of the Royalnstitution, communicated to his colleagues a letter which James Starrad sent him, excusing himself from being present at the next meetingf the society. Two or three others produced similar letters. But thoughhese documents proved that Starr had left Edinburgh--which was knownefore--they threw no light on what had become of him. Now, on the part

f such a man, this prolonged absence, so contrary to his usual habits,aturally first caused surprise, and then anxiety.

notice was inserted in the principal newspapers of the United Kingdomelative to the engineer James Starr, giving a description of him andhe date on which he left Edinburgh; nothing more could be done but towait. The time passed in great anxiety. The scientific world of Englandwas inclined to believe that one of its most distinguished membersad positively disappeared. At the same time, when so many peoplewere thinking about James Starr, Harry Ford was the subject of no lessnxiety. Only, instead of occupying public attention, the son of the oldverman was the cause of trouble alone to the generally cheerful mind ofack Ryan.

t may be remembered that, in their encounter in the Yarrow shaft, Jack

Ryan had invited Harry to come a week afterwards to the festivities atrvine. Harry had accepted and promised expressly to be there. Jack Ryannew, having had it proved by many circumstances, that his friend was man of his word. With him, a thing promised was a thing done. Now, athe Irvine merry-making, nothing was wanting; neither song, nor dance,or fun of any sort--nothing but Harry Ford.

he notice relative to James Starr, published in the papers, had notet been seen by Ryan. The honest fellow was therefore only worried byarry's absence, telling himself that something serious could alone haverevented him from keeping his promise. So, the day after the Irvineames, Jack Ryan intended to take the railway from Glasgow and go to theochart pit; and this he would have done had he not been detained by anccident which nearly cost him his life. Something which occurred on the

ight of the 12th of December was of a nature to support the opinions ofll partisans of the supernatural, and there were many at Melrose Farm.

rvine, a little seaport of Renfrew, containing nearly seven thousandnhabitants, lies in a sharp bend made by the Scottish coast, near theouth of the Firth of Clyde. The most ancient and the most famed ruinsn this part of the coast were those of this castle of Robert Stuart,which bore the name of Dundonald Castle.

t this period Dundonald Castle, a refuge for all the stray goblinsf the country, was completely deserted. It stood on the top of a highock, two miles from the town, and was seldom visited. Sometimes aew strangers took it into their heads to explore these old historicalemains, but then they always went alone. The inhabitants of Irvine




would not have taken them there at any price. Indeed, several legendswere based on the story of certain "fire-maidens," who haunted the oldastle.

he most superstitious declared they had seen these fantastic creatureswith their own eyes. Jack Ryan was naturally one of them. It was a facthat from time to time long flames appeared, sometimes on a broken piecef wall, sometimes on the summit of the tower which was the highestoint of Dundonald Castle.

id these flames really assume a human shape, as was asserted? Did theyerit the name of fire-maidens, given them by the people of the coast?t was evidently just an optical delusion, aided by a good deal ofredulity, and science could easily have explained the phenomenon.

owever that might be, these fire-maidens had the reputation ofrequenting the ruins of the old castle and there performing wildtrathspeys, especially on dark nights. Jack Ryan, bold fellow though hewas, would never have dared to accompany those dances with the music ofis bagpipes.

Old Nick is enough for them!" said he. "He doesn't need me to completeis infernal orchestra."

We may well believe that these strange apparitions frequently furnished text for the evening stories. Jack Ryan was ending the evening withne of these. His auditors, transported into the phantom world, wereworked up into a state of mind which would believe anything.

ll at once shouts were heard outside. Jack Ryan stopped short in theiddle of his story, and all rushed out of the barn. The night wasitchy dark. Squalls of wind and rain swept along the beach. Two orhree fishermen, their backs against a rock, the better to resist thewind, were shouting at the top of their voices.

ack Ryan and his companions ran up to them. The shouts were, however,ot for the inhabitants of the farm, but to warn men who, without beingware of it, were going to destruction. A dark, confused mass appearedome way out at sea. It was a vessel whose position could be seen by

er lights, for she carried a white one on her foremast, a green onhe starboard side, and a red on the outside. She was evidently runningtraight on the rocks.

A ship in distress?" said Ryan.

Ay," answered one of the fishermen, "and now they want to tack, butt's too late!"

Do they want to run ashore?" said another.

It seems so," responded one of the fishermen, "unless he has beenisled by some--"

he man was interrupted by a yell from Jack. Could the crew have heardt? At any rate, it was too late for them to beat back from the line ofreakers which gleamed white in the darkness.

ut it was not, as might be supposed, a last effort of Ryan's to warnhe doomed ship. He now had his back to the sea. His companions turnedlso, and gazed at a spot situated about half a mile inland. It wasundonald Castle. A long flame twisted and bent under the gale, on theummit of the old tower.

The Fire-Maiden!" cried the superstitious men in terror.

learly, it needed a good strong imagination to find any human likenessn that flame. Waving in the wind like a luminous flag, it seemed




ometimes to fly round the tower, as if it was just going out, and aoment after it was seen again dancing on its blue point.

The Fire-Maiden! the Fire-Maiden!" cried the terrified fishermen andeasants.

ll was then explained. The ship, having lost her reckoning in theog, had taken this flame on the top of Dundonald Castle for the Irvineight. She thought herself at the entrance of the Firth, ten mileso the north, when she was really running on a shore which offered noefuge.

What could be done to save her, if there was still time? It was tooate. A frightful crash was heard above the tumult of the elements. Theessel had struck. The white line of surf was broken for an instant; sheeeled over on her side and lay among the rocks.

t the same time, by a strange coincidence, the long flame disappeared,s if it had been swept away by a violent gust. Earth, sea, and sky werelunged in complete darkness.

The Fire-Maiden!" shouted Ryan, for the last time, as the apparition,which he and his companions believed supernatural, disappeared. But then

he courage of these superstitious Scotchmen, which had failed before aancied danger, returned in face of a real one, which they were ready torave in order to save their fellow-creatures. The tempest did not deterhem. As heroic as they had before been credulous, fastening ropes roundheir waists, they rushed into the waves to the aid of those on thewreck.

appily, they succeeded in their endeavors, although some--and bold JackRyan was among the number--were severely wounded on the rocks. But theaptain of the vessel and the eight sailors who composed his crew wereauled up, safe and sound, on the beach.

he ship was the Norwegian brig MOTALA, laden with timber, and bound forlasgow. Of the MOTALA herself nothing remained but a few spars, washedp by the waves, and dashed among the rocks on the beach.

ack Ryan and three of his companions, wounded like himself, werearried into a room of Melrose Farm, where every care was lavished onhem. Ryan was the most hurt, for when with the rope round his waiste had rushed into the sea, the waves had almost immediately dashed himack against the rocks. He was brought, indeed, very nearly lifeless ono the beach.

he brave fellow was therefore confined to bed for several days, to hisreat disgust. However, as soon as he was given permission to sing asuch as he liked, he bore his trouble patiently, and the farm echoedll day with his jovial voice. But from this adventure he imbibed a moreively sentiment of fear with regard to brownies and other goblins whomuse themselves by plaguing mankind, and he made them responsible

or the catastrophe of the Motala. It would have been vain to try andonvince him that the Fire-Maidens did not exist, and that the flame,o suddenly appearing among the ruins, was but a natural phenomenon. Noeasoning could make him believe it. His companions were, if possible,ore obstinate than he in their credulity. According to them, one of theire-Maidens had maliciously attracted the MOTALA to the coast. As towishing to punish her, as well try to bring the tempest to justice! Theagistrates might order what arrests they pleased, but a flame cannote imprisoned, an impalpable being can't be handcuffed. It must becknowledged that the researches which were ultimately made gave ground,t least in appearance, to this superstitious way of explaining theacts.

he inquiry was made with great care. Officials came to Dundonald




astle, and they proceeded to conduct a most vigorous search. Theagistrate wished first to ascertain if the ground bore any footprints,which could be attributed to other than goblins' feet. It was impossibleo find the least trace, whether old or new. Moreover, the earth, stillamp from the rain of the day before, would have preserved the leastestige.

he result of all this was, that the magistrates only got for theirrouble a new legend added to so many others--a legend which would beerpetuated by the remembrance of the catastrophe of the MOTALA, andndisputably confirm the truth of the apparition of the Fire-Maidens.

hearty fellow like Jack Ryan, with so strong a constitution, could note long confined to his bed. A few sprains and bruises were not quitenough to keep him on his back longer than he liked. He had not time toe ill.

ack, therefore, soon got well. As soon as he was on his legs again,efore resuming his work on the farm, he wished to go and visit hisriend Harry, and learn why he had not come to the Irvine merry-making.e could not understand his absence, for Harry was not a man who wouldwillingly promise and not perform. It was unlikely, too, that the son ofhe old overman had not heard of the wreck of the MOTALA, as it was inll the papers. He must know the part Jack had taken in it, and what had

appened to him, and it was unlike Harry not to hasten to the farm andee how his old chum was going on.

s Harry had not come, there must have been something to prevent him.ack Ryan would as soon deny the existence of the Fire-Maidens aselieve in Harry's indifference.

wo days after the catastrophe Jack left the farm merily, feelingothing of his wounds. Singing in the fullness of his heart, he awokehe echoes of the cliff, as he walked to the station of the railway,which VIA Glasgow would take him to Stirling and Callander.

s he was waiting for his train, his attention was attracted by a billosted up on the walls, containing the following notice:

On the 4th of December, the engineer, James Starr, of Edinburgh,mbarked from Granton Pier, on board the Prince of Wales. He disembarkedhe same day at Stirling. From that time nothing further has been heardf him.

Any information concerning him is requested to be sent to the Presidentf the Royal Institution, Edinburgh."

ack Ryan, stopping before one of these advertisements, read it twicever, with extreme surprise.

Mr. Starr!" he exclaimed. "Why, on the 4th of December I met him witharry on the ladder of the Dochart pit! That was ten days ago! And heas not been seen from that time! That explains why my chum didn't come

o Irvine."

nd without taking time to inform the President of the Royal Institutiony letter, what he knew relative to James Starr, Jack jumped into therain, determining to go first of all to the Yarrow shaft. There hewould descend to the depths of the pit, if necessary, to find Harry, andwith him was sure to be the engineer James Starr.

They haven't turned up again," said he to himself. "Why? Has anythingrevented them? Could any work of importance keep them still at theottom of the mine? I must find out!" and Ryan, hastening his steps,rrived in less than an hour at the Yarrow shaft.

xternally nothing was changed. The same silence around. Not a living




reature was moving in that desert region. Jack entered the ruined shedwhich covered the opening of the shaft. He gazed down into the darkbyss--nothing was to be seen. He listened--nothing was to be heard.

And my lamp!" he exclaimed; "suppose it isn't in its place!" The lampwhich Ryan used when he visited the pit was usually deposited in aorner, near the landing of the topmost ladder. It had disappeared.

Here is a nuisance!" said Jack, beginning to feel rather uneasy. Then,without hesitating, superstitious though he was, "I will go," said he,though it's as dark down there as in the lowest depths of the infernalegions!"

nd he began to descend the long flight of ladders, which led down theloomy shaft. Jack Ryan had not forgotten his old mining habits, ande was well acquainted with the Dochart pit, or he would scarcely haveared to venture thus. He went very carefully, however. His foot triedach round, as some of them were worm-eaten. A false step would entail aeadly fall, through this space of fifteen hundred feet. He counted eachanding as he passed it, knowing that he could not reach the bottom ofhe shaft until he had left the thirtieth. Once there, he would have norouble, so he thought, in finding the cottage, built, as we have said,t the extremity of the principal passage.

ack Ryan went on thus until he got to the twenty-sixth landing, andonsequently had two hundred feet between him and the bottom.

ere he put down his leg to feel for the first rung of thewenty-seventh ladder. But his foot swinging in space found nothing toest on. He knelt down and felt about with his hand for the top of theadder. It was in vain.

Old Nick himself must have been down this way!" said Jack, not without slight feeling of terror.

e stood considering for some time, with folded arms, and longing to beble to pierce the impenetrable darkness. Then it occurred to him thatf he could not get down, neither could the inhabitants of the mine getp. There was now no communication between the depths of the pit and the

pper regions. If the removal of the lower ladders of the Yarrow shaftad been effected since his last visit to the cottage, what had becomef Simon Ford, his wife, his son, and the engineer?

he prolonged absence of James Starr proved that he had not left the pitince the day Ryan met with him in the shaft. How had the cottage beenrovisioned since then? The food of these unfortunate people, imprisonedifteen hundred feet below the surface of the ground, must have beenxhausted by this time.

ll this passed through Jack's mind, as he saw that by himself he couldo nothing to get to the cottage. He had no doubt but that communicationad been interrupted with a malevolent intention. At any rate, theuthorities must be informed, and that as soon as possible. Jack Ryan

ent forward from the landing.

Harry! Harry!" he shouted with his powerful voice.

arry's name echoed and re-echoed among the rocks, and finally died awayn the depths of the shaft.

Ryan rapidly ascended the upper ladders and returned to the light ofay. Without losing a moment he reached the Callander station, justaught the express to Edinburgh, and by three o'clock was before theord Provost.

here his declaration was received. His account was given so clearlyhat it could not be doubted. Sir William Elphiston, President of the




Royal Institution, and not only colleague, but a personal friend oftarr's, was also informed, and asked to direct the search which waso be made without delay in the mine. Several men were placed at hisisposal, supplied with lamps, picks, long rope ladders, not forgettingrovisions and cordials. Then guided by Jack Ryan, the party set out forhe Aberfoyle mines.

he same evening the expedition arrived at the opening of the Yarrowhaft, and descended to the twenty-seventh landing, at which Jack Ryanad been stopped a few hours previously. The lamps, fastened to longopes, were lowered down the shaft, and it was thus ascertained that theour last ladders were wanting.

s soon as the lamps had been brought up, the men fixed to the landing aope ladder, which unrolled itself down the shaft, and all descended onefter the other. Jack Ryan's descent was the most difficult, for he wentirst down the swinging ladders, and fastened them for the others.

he space at the bottom of the shaft was completely deserted; but SirWilliam was much surprised at hearing Jack Ryan exclaim, "Here are bitsf the ladders, and some of them half burnt!"

Burnt?" repeated Sir William. "Indeed, here sure enough are cinderswhich have evidently been cold a long time!"

Do you think, sir," asked Ryan, "that Mr. Starr could have had anyeason for burning the ladders, and thus breaking of communication withhe world?"

Certainly not," answered Sir William Elphiston, who had become veryhoughtful. "Come, my lad, lead us to the cottage. There we shallscertain the truth."

ack Ryan shook his head, as if not at all convinced. Then, taking aamp from the hands of one of the men, he proceeded with a rapid steplong the principal passage of the Dochart pit. The others all followedim.

n a quarter of an hour the party arrived at the excavation in which

tood Simon Ford's cottage. There was no light in the window. Ryanarted to the door, and threw it open. The house was empty.

hey examined all the rooms in the somber habitation. No trace ofiolence was to be found. All was in order, as if old Madge had beentill there. There was even an ample supply of provisions, enough toast the Ford family for several days.

he absence of the tenants of the cottage was quite unaccountable. Butwas it not possible to find out the exact time they had quitted it? Yes,or in this region, where there was no difference of day or night, Madgewas accustomed to mark with a cross each day in her almanac.

he almanac was pinned up on the wall, and there the last cross had been

ade at the 6th of December; that is to say, a day after the arrival ofames Starr, to which Ryan could positively swear. It was clear that onhe 6th of December, ten days ago, Simon Ford, his wife, son, anduest, had quitted the cottage. Could a fresh exploration of the mine,ndertaken by the engineer, account for such a long absence? Certainlyot.

t was intensely dark all round. The lamps held by the men gave lightnly just where they were standing. Suddenly Jack Ryan uttered a cry.Look there, there!"

is finger was pointing to a tolerably bright light, which was movingbout in the distance. "After that light, my men!" exclaimed SirWilliam.




It's a goblin light!" said Ryan. "So what's the use? We shall neveratch it."

he president and his men, little given to superstition, darted off inhe direction of the moving light. Jack Ryan, bravely following theirxample, quickly overtook the head-most of the party.

t was a long and fatiguing chase. The lantern seemed to be carried by aeing of small size, but singular agility.

very now and then it disappeared behind some pillar, then was seengain at the end of a cross gallery. A sharp turn would place it out ofight, and it seemed to have completely disappeared, when all at oncehere would be the light as bright as ever. However, they gained veryittle on it, and Ryan's belief that they could never catch it seemedar from groundless.

fter an hour of this vain pursuit Sir William Elphiston and hisompanions had gone a long way in the southwest direction of the pit,nd began to think they really had to do with an impalpable being. Justhen it seemed as if the distance between the goblin and those whowere pursuing it was becoming less. Could it be fatigued, or did thisnvisible being wish to entice Sir William and his companions to the

lace where the inhabitants of the cottage had perhaps themselves beennticed. It was hard to say.

he men, seeing that the distance lessened, redoubled their efforts. Theight which had before burnt at a distance of more than two hundredeet before them was now seen at less than fifty. The space continuedo diminish. The bearer of the lamp became partially visible. Sometimes,when it turned its head, the indistinct profile of a human face could beade out, and unless a sprite could assume bodily shape, Jack Ryan wasbliged to confess that here was no supernatural being. Then, springingorward,--

Courage, comrades!" he exclaimed; "it is getting tired! We shall soonatch it up now, and if it can talk as well as it can run we shall hear fine story."

ut the pursuit had suddenly become more difficult. They were innknown regions of the mine; narrow passages crossed each other likehe windings of a labyrinth. The bearer of the lamp might escape them asasily as possible, by just extinguishing the light and retreating intoome dark refuge.

And indeed," thought Sir William, "if it wishes to avoid us, why doest not do so?"

itherto there had evidently been no intention to avoid them, butust as the thought crossed Sir William's mind the light suddenlyisappeared, and the party, continuing the pursuit, found themselvesefore an extremely narrow natural opening in the schistous rocks.

o trim their lamps, spring forward, and dart through the opening, wasor Sir William and his party but the work of an instant. But beforehey had gone a hundred paces along this new gallery, much wider andoftier than the former, they all stopped short. There, near the wall,ay four bodies, stretched on the ground--four corpses, perhaps!

James Starr!" exclaimed Sir William Elphiston.

Harry! Harry!" cried Ryan, throwing himself down beside his friend.

t was indeed the engineer, Madge, Simon, and Harry Ford who were lyinghere motionless. But one of the bodies moved slightly, and Madge's




oice was heard faintly murmuring, "See to the others! help them first!"

ir William, Jack, and their companions endeavored to reanimate thengineer and his friends by getting them to swallow a few drops ofrandy. They very soon succeeded. The unfortunate people, shut up inhat dark cavern for ten days, were dying of starvation. They must haveerished had they not on three occasions found a loaf of bread and a jugf water set near them. No doubt the charitable being to whom they owedheir lives was unable to do more for them.

ir William wondered whether this might not have been the work of thetrange sprite who had allured them to the very spot where James Starrnd his companions lay.

owever that might be, the engineer, Madge, Simon, and Harry Ford wereaved. They were assisted to the cottage, passing through the narrowpening which the bearer of the strange light had apparently wished tooint out to Sir William. This was a natural opening. The passage whichames Starr and his companions had made for themselves with dynamite hadeen completely blocked up with rocks laid one upon another.

o, then, whilst they had been exploring the vast cavern, the way backad been purposely closed against them by a hostile hand.

HAPTER X. COAL TOWN

HREE years after the events which have just been related, theuide-books recommended as a "great attraction," to the numerousourists who roam over the county of Stirling, a visit of a few hours tohe mines of New Aberfoyle.

o mine in any country, either in the Old or New World, could present aore curious aspect.

o begin with, the visitor was transported without danger or fatigue to level with the workings, at fifteen hundred feet below the surface of

he ground. Seven miles to the southwest of Callander opened a slantingunnel, adorned with a castellated entrance, turrets and battlements.his lofty tunnel gently sloped straight to the stupendous crypt,ollowed out so strangely in the bowels of the earth.

double line of railway, the wagons being moved by hydraulic power,lied from hour to hour to and from the village thus buried in theubsoil of the county, and which bore the rather ambitious title of Coalown.

rrived in Coal Town, the visitor found himself in a place wherelectricity played a principal part as an agent of heat and light.lthough the ventilation shafts were numerous, they were not sufficiento admit much daylight into New Aberfoyle, yet it had abundance of

ight. This was shed from numbers of electric discs; some suspended fromhe vaulted roofs, others hanging on the natural pillars--all, whetheruns or stars in size, were fed by continuous currents produced fromlectro-magnetic machines. When the hour of rest arrived, an artificialight was easily produced all over the mine by disconnecting the wires.

elow the dome lay a lake of an extent to be compared to the Dead Seaf the Mammoth caves--a deep lake whose transparent waters swarmed withyeless fish, and to which the engineer gave the name of Loch Malcolm.

here, in this immense natural excavation, Simon Ford built his newottage, which he would not have exchanged for the finest house inrince's Street, Edinburgh. This dwelling was situated on the shoresf the loch, and its five windows looked out on the dark waters, which




xtended further than the eye could see. Two months later a secondabitation was erected in the neighborhood of Simon Ford's cottage: thiswas for James Starr. The engineer had given himself body and soul to Newberfoyle, and nothing but the most imperative necessity ever causedim to leave the pit. There, then, he lived in the midst of his miningworld.

n the discovery of the new field, all the old colliers had hastened toeave the plow and harrow, and resume the pick and mattock. Attractedy the certainty that work would never fail, allured by the high wageswhich the prosperity of the mine enabled the company to offer for labor,hey deserted the open air for an underground life, and took up theirbode in the mines.

he miners' houses, built of brick, soon grew up in a picturesqueashion; some on the banks of Loch Malcolm, others under the archeswhich seemed made to resist the weight that pressed upon them, like theiers of a bridge. So was founded Coal Town, situated under the easternoint of Loch Katrine, to the north of the county of Stirling. It was aegular settlement on the banks of Loch Malcolm. A chapel, dedicatedo St. Giles, overlooked it from the top of a huge rock, whose foot wasaved by the waters of the subterranean sea.

When this underground town was lighted up by the bright rays thrown from

he discs, hung from the pillars and arches, its aspect was so strange,o fantastic, that it justified the praise of the guide-books, andisitors flocked to see it.

t is needless to say that the inhabitants of Coal Town were proud ofheir place. They rarely left their laboring village--in that imitatingimon Ford, who never wished to go out again. The old overman maintainedhat it always rained "up there," and, considering the climate of thenited Kingdom, it must be acknowledged that he was not far wrong. Allhe families in New Aberfoyle prospered well, having in three yearsbtained a certain competency which they could never have hoped tottain on the surface of the county. Dozens of babies, who were born athe time when the works were resumed, had never yet breathed the outerir.

his made Jack Ryan remark, "It's eighteen months since they wereweaned, and they have not yet seen daylight!"

t may be mentioned here, that one of the first to run at the engineer'sall was Jack Ryan. The merry fellow had thought it his duty to returno his old trade. But though Melrose farm had lost singer and piper itust not be thought that Jack Ryan sung no more. On the contrary, theonorous echoes of New Aberfoyle exerted their strong lungs to answerim.

ack Ryan took up his abode in Simon Ford's new cottage. They offeredim a room, which he accepted without ceremony, in his frank and heartyway. Old Madge loved him for his fine character and good nature. She inome degree shared his ideas on the subject of the fantastic beings

who were supposed to haunt the mine, and the two, when alone, told eachther stories wild enough to make one shudder--stories well worthy ofnriching the hyperborean mythology.

ack thus became the life of the cottage. He was, besides being a jovialompanion, a good workman. Six months after the works had begun, he wasade head of a gang of hewers.

That was a good work done, Mr. Ford," said he, a few days after hisppointment. "You discovered a new field, and though you narrowlyscaped paying for the discovery with your life--well, it was not tooearly bought."

No, Jack, it was a good bargain we made that time!" answered the old




verman. "But neither Mr. Starr nor I have forgotten that to you we oweur lives."

Not at all," returned Jack. "You owe them to your son Harry, when head the good sense to accept my invitation to Irvine."

And not to go, isn't that it?" interrupted Harry, grasping hisomrade's hand. "No, Jack, it is to you, scarcely healed of yourwounds--to you, who did not delay a day, no, nor an hour, that we oweur being found still alive in the mine!"

Rubbish, no!" broke in the obstinate fellow. "I won't have that said,when it's no such thing. I hurried to find out what had become of you,arry, that's all. But to give everyone his due, I will add that withouthat unapproachable goblin--"

Ah, there we are!" cried Ford. "A goblin!"

A goblin, a brownie, a fairy's child," repeated Jack Ryan, "a cousin ofhe Fire-Maidens, an Urisk, whatever you like! It's not the less certainhat without it we should never have found our way into the gallery,rom which you could not get out."

No doubt, Jack," answered Harry. "It remains to be seen whether this

eing was as supernatural as you choose to believe."

Supernatural!" exclaimed Ryan. "But it was as supernatural as aWill-o'-the-Wisp, who may be seen skipping along with his lantern inis hand; you may try to catch him, but he escapes like a fairy, andanishes like a shadow! Don't be uneasy, Harry, we shall see it againome day or other!"

Well, Jack," said Simon Ford, "Will-o'-the-Wisp or not, we shall try toind it, and you must help us."

You'll get into a scrap if you don't take care, Mr. Ford!" respondedack Ryan.

We'll see about that, Jack!"

We may easily imagine how soon this domain of New Aberfoyle becameamiliar to all the members of the Ford family, but more particularly toarry. He learnt to know all its most secret ins and outs. He could evenay what point of the surface corresponded with what point of the mine.e knew that above this seam lay the Firth of Clyde, that there extendedoch Lomond and Loch Katrine. Those columns supported a spur of therampian mountains. This vault served as a basement to Dumbarton. Abovehis large pond passed the Balloch railway. Here ended the Scottishoast. There began the sea, the tumult of which could be distinctlyeard during the equinoctial gales. Harry would have been a first-rateuide to these natural catacombs, and all that Alpine guides do onheir snowy peaks in daylight he could have done in the dark mine by thewonderful power of instinct.

e loved New Aberfoyle. Many times, with his lamp stuck in his hat,id he penetrate its furthest depths. He explored its ponds in akillfully-managed canoe. He even went shooting, for numerous birds hadeen introduced into the crypt--pintails, snipes, ducks, who fed on theish which swarmed in the deep waters. Harry's eyes seemed made forhe dark, just as a sailor's are made for distances. But all this whilearry felt irresistibly animated by the hope of finding the mysteriouseing whose intervention, strictly speaking, had saved himself and hisriends. Would he succeed? He certainly would, if presentiments were toe trusted; but certainly not, if he judged by the success which had aset attended his researches.

he attacks directed against the family of the old overman, before the




iscovery of New Aberfoyle, had not been renewed.

HAPTER XI. HANGING BY A THREAD

LTHOUGH in this way the Ford family led a happy and contented life, yett was easy to see that Harry, naturally of a grave disposition, becameore and more quiet and reserved. Even Jack Ryan, with all his goodumor and usually infectious merriment, failed to rouse him to gayety ofanner.

ne Sunday--it was in the month of June--the two friends were walkingogether on the shores of Loch Malcolm. Coal Town rested from labor. Inhe world above, stormy weather prevailed. Violent rains fell, andull sultry vapors brooded over the earth; the atmosphere was mostppressive.

own in Coal Town there was perfect calm; no wind, no rain. A soft andleasant temperature existed instead of the strife of the elements whichaged without. What wonder then, that excursionists from Stirling camen considerable numbers to enjoy the calm fresh air in the recesses ofhe mine?

he electric discs shed a brilliancy of light which the British sun,ftener obscured by fogs than it ought to be, might well envy. Jack Ryanept talking of these visitors, who passed them in noisy crowds, butarry paid very little attention to what he said.

I say, do look, Harry!" cried Jack. "See what numbers of people comeo visit us! Cheer up, old fellow! Do the honors of the place a littleetter. If you look so glum, you'll make all these outside folks thinkou envy their life above-ground."

Never mind me, Jack," answered Harry. "You are jolly enough for two,'m sure; that's enough."

I'll be hanged if I don't feel your melancholy creeping over me

hough!" exclaimed Jack. "I declare my eyes are getting quite dull, myips are drawn together, my laugh sticks in my throat; I'm forgettingll my songs. Come, man, what's the matter with you?"

You know well enough, Jack."

What? the old story?"

Yes, the same thoughts haunt me."

Ah, poor fellow!" said Jack, shrugging his shoulders. "If you wouldnly do like me, and set all the queer things down to the account of theoblins of the mine, you would be easier in your mind."

But, Jack, you know very well that these goblins exist only in yourmagination, and that, since the works here have been reopened, not aingle one has been seen."

That's true, Harry; but if no spirits have been seen, neither hasnyone else to whom you could attribute the extraordinary doings we wanto account for."

I shall discover them."

Ah, Harry! Harry! it's not so easy to catch the spirits of Newberfoyle!"

I shall find out the spirits as you call them," said Harry, in a tone




f firm conviction.

Do you expect to be able to punish them?"

Both punish and reward. Remember, if one hand shut us up in thatassage, another hand delivered us! I shall not soon forget that."

But, Harry, how can we be sure that these two hands do not belong tohe same body?"

What can put such a notion in your head, Jack?" asked Harry.

Well, I don't know. Creatures that live in these holes, Harry, don'tou see? they can't be made like us, eh?"

But they ARE just like us, Jack."

Oh, no! don't say that, Harry! Perhaps some madman managed to get inor a time."

A madman! No madman would have formed such connected plans, or doneuch continued mischief as befell us after the breaking of the ladders."

Well, but anyhow he has done no harm for the last three years, either

o you, Harry, or any of your people."

No matter, Jack," replied Harry; "I am persuaded that this malignanteing, whoever he is, has by no means given up his evil intentions. Ian hardly say on what I found my convictions. But at any rate, forhe sake of the new works, I must and will know who he is and whence heomes."

For the sake of the new works did you say?" asked Jack, considerablyurprised.

I said so, Jack," returned Harry. "I may be mistaken, but, to me, allhat has happened proves the existence of an interest in this mine introng opposition to ours. Many a time have I considered the matter; Ieel almost sure of it. Just consider the whole series of inexplicable

ircumstances, so singularly linked together. To begin with, thenonymous letter, contradictory to that of my father, at once proveshat some man had become aware of our projects, and wished to preventheir accomplishment. Mr. Starr comes to see us at the Dochart pit. Noooner does he enter it with me than an immense stone is cast upon us,nd communication is interrupted by the breaking of the ladders inhe Yarrow shaft. We commence exploring. An experiment, by which thexistence of a new vein would be proved, is rendered impossible bytoppage of fissures. Notwithstanding this, the examination is carriedut, the vein discovered. We return as we came, a prodigious gust of aireets us, our lamp is broken, utter darkness surrounds us. Nevertheless,we make our way along the gloomy passage until, on reaching thentrance, we find it blocked up. There we were--imprisoned. Now, Jack,on't you see in all these things a malicious intention? Ah, yes,

elieve me, some being hitherto invisible, but not supernatural, as youwill persist in thinking, was concealed in the mine. For some reason,nown only to himself, he strove to keep us out of it. WAS there, did say? I feel an inward conviction that he IS there still, and probablyrepares some terrible disaster for us. Even at the risk of my life,ack, I am resolved to discover him."

arry spoke with an earnestness which strongly impressed his companion.Well, Harry," said he, "if I am forced to agree with you in certainoints, won't you admit that some kind fairy or brownie, by bringingread and water to you, was the means of--"

Jack, my friend," interrupted Harry, "it is my belief that the friendlyerson, whom you will persist in calling a spirit, exists in the mine as




ertainly as the criminal we speak of, and I mean to seek them both inhe most distant recesses of the mine."

But," inquired Jack, "have you any possible clew to guide your search?"

Perhaps I have. Listen to me! Five miles west of New Aberfoyle, underhe solid rock which supports Ben Lomond, there exists a natural shaftwhich descends perpendicularly into the vein beneath. A week ago I wento ascertain the depth of this shaft. While sounding it, and bendingver the opening as my plumb-line went down, it seemed to me that their within was agitated, as though beaten by huge wings."

Some bird must have got lost among the lower galleries," replied Jack.

But that is not all, Jack. This very morning I went back to the place,nd, listening attentively, I thought I could detect a sound like a sortf groaning."

Groaning!" cried Jack, "that must be nonsense; it was a current ofir--unless indeed some ghost--"

I shall know to-morrow what it was," said Harry.

To-morrow?" answered Jack, looking at his friend.

Yes; to-morrow I am going down into that abyss."

Harry! that will be a tempting of Providence."

No, Jack, Providence will aid me in the attempt. Tomorrow, you and somef our comrades will go with me to that shaft. I will fasten myself to long rope, by which you can let me down, and draw me up at a givenignal. I may depend upon you, Jack?"

Well, Harry," said Jack, shaking his head, "I will do as you wish me;ut I tell you all the same, you are very wrong."

Nothing venture nothing win," said Harry, in a tone of decision.To-morrow morning, then, at six o'clock. Be silent, and farewell!"

t must be admitted that Jack Ryan's fears were far from groundless.arry would expose himself to very great danger, supposing the enemye sought for lay concealed at the bottom of the pit into which hewas going to descend. It did not seem likely that such was the case,owever.

Why in the world," repeated Jack Ryan, "should he take all this troubleo account for a set of facts so very easily and simply explained by theupernatural intervention of the spirits of the mine?"

ut, notwithstanding his objections to the scheme, Jack Ryan and threeiners of his gang arrived next morning with Harry at the mouth of thepening of the suspicious shaft. Harry had not mentioned his intentions

ither to James Starr or to the old overman. Jack had been discreetnough to say nothing.

arry had provided himself with a rope about 200 feet long. It was notarticularly thick, but very strong--sufficiently so to sustain hisweight. His friends were to let him down into the gulf, and his pullinghe cord was to be the signal to withdraw him.

he opening into this shaft or well was twelve feet wide. A beam washrown across like a bridge, so that the cord passing over it shouldang down the center of the opening, and save Harry from strikinggainst the sides in his descent.

e was ready.




Are you still determined to explore this abyss?" whispered Jack Ryan.

Yes, I am, Jack."

he cord was fastened round Harry's thighs and under his arms, to keepim from rocking. Thus supported, he was free to use both his hands. Aafety-lamp hung at his belt, also a large, strong knife in a leatherheath.

arry advanced to the middle of the beam, around which the cord wasassed. Then his friends began to let him down, and he slowly sank intohe pit. As the rope caused him to swing gently round and round, theight of his lamp fell in turns on all points of the side walls, sohat he was able to examine them carefully. These walls consisted of pitoal, and so smooth that it would be impossible to ascend them.

arry calculated that he was going down at the rate of about a footer second, so that he had time to look about him, and be ready for anyvent.

uring two minutes--that is to say, to the depth of about 120 feet, theescent continued without any incident.

o lateral gallery opened from the side walls of the pit, which wasradually narrowing into the shape of a funnel. But Harry began to feel fresher air rising from beneath, whence he concluded that the bottomf the pit communicated with a gallery of some description in the lowestart of the mine.

he cord continued to unwind. Darkness and silence were complete. Ifny living being whatever had sought refuge in the deep and mysteriousbyss, he had either left it, or, if there, by no movement did he in thelightest way betray his presence.

arry, becoming more suspicious the lower he got, now drew his knife andeld it in his right hand. At a depth of 180 feet, his feet touched theower point and the cord slackened and unwound no further.

arry breathed more freely for a moment. One of the fears he entertainedad been that, during his descent, the cord might be cut above him, bute had seen no projection from the walls behind which anyone could haveeen concealed.

he bottom of the abyss was quite dry. Harry, taking the lamp from hiselt, walked round the place, and perceived he had been right in hisonjectures.

n extremely narrow passage led aside out of the pit. He had to stoopo look into it, and only by creeping could it be followed; but ase wanted to see in which direction it led, and whether another abysspened from it, he lay down on the ground and began to enter it on handsnd knees.

n obstacle speedily arrested his progress. He fancied he could perceivey touching it, that a human body lay across the passage. A suddenhrill of horror and surprise made him hastily draw back, but he againdvanced and felt more carefully.

is senses had not deceived him; a body did indeed lie there; and heoon ascertained that, although icy cold at the extremities, there wasome vital heat remaining. In less time than it takes to tell it, Harryad drawn the body from the recess to the bottom of the shaft, and,eizing his lamp, he cast its lights on what he had found, exclaimingmmediately, "Why, it is a child!"

he child still breathed, but so very feebly that Harry expected it to




ease every instant. Not a moment was to be lost; he must carry thisoor little creature out of the pit, and take it home to his mother asuickly as he could. He eagerly fastened the cord round his waist, stuckn his lamp, clasped the child to his breast with his left arm, and,eeping his right hand free to hold the knife, he gave the signal agreedn, to have the rope pulled up.

t tightened at once; he began the ascent. Harry looked around him withedoubled care, for more than his own life was now in danger.

or a few minutes all went well, no accident seemed to threaten him,when suddenly he heard the sound of a great rush of air from beneath;nd, looking down, he could dimly perceive through the gloom a broadass arising until it passed him, striking him as it went by.

t was an enormous bird--of what sort he could not see; it flew upwardsn mighty wings, then paused, hovered, and dashed fiercely down uponarry, who could only wield his knife in one hand. He defended himselfnd the child as well as he could, but the ferocious bird seemed to aimll its blows at him alone. Afraid of cutting the cord, he could nottrike it as he wished, and the struggle was prolonged, while Harryhouted with all his might in hopes of making his comrades hear.

e soon knew they did, for they pulled the rope up faster; a distance

f about eighty feet remained to be got over. The bird ceased its directttack, but increased the horror and danger of his situation by rushingt the cord, clinging to it just out of his reach, and endeavoring, byecking furiously, to cut it.

arry felt overcome with terrible dread. One strand of the rope gaveway, and it made them sink a little.

shriek of despair escaped his lips.

second strand was divided, and the double burden now hung suspended bynly half the cord.

arry dropped his knife, and by a superhuman effort succeeded, at theoment the rope was giving way, in catching hold of it with his right

and above the cut made by the beak of the bird. But, powerfully as heeld it in his iron grasp, he could feel it gradually slipping throughis fingers.

e might have caught it, and held on with both hands by sacrificing theife of the child he supported in his left arm. The idea crossed him,ut was banished in an instant, although he believed himself quitenable to hold out until drawn to the surface. For a second he closedis eyes, believing they were about to plunge back into the abyss.

e looked up once more; the huge bird had disappeared; his hand wast the very extremity of the broken rope--when, just as his convulsiverasp was failing, he was seized by the men, and with the child waslaced on the level ground.

he fearful strain of anxiety removed, a reaction took place, and Harryell fainting into the arms of his friends.

HAPTER XII. NELL ADOPTED

COUPLE of hours later, Harry still unconscious, and the child in aery feeble state, were brought to the cottage by Jack Ryan and hisompanions. The old overman listened to the account of their adventures,while Madge attended with the utmost care to the wants of her son, andf the poor creature whom he had rescued from the pit.




arry imagined her a mere child, but she was a maiden of the age ofifteen or sixteen years.

he gazed at them with vague and wondering eyes; and the thin face,rawn by suffering, the pallid complexion, which light could never haveinged, and the fragile, slender figure, gave her an appearance at onceingular and attractive. Jack Ryan declared that she seemed to him to ben uncommonly interesting kind of ghost.

t must have been due to the strange and peculiar circumstances underwhich her life hitherto had been led, that she scarcely seemed to belongo the human race. Her countenance was of a very uncommon cast, and heryes, hardly able to bear the lamp-light in the cottage, glanced aroundn a confused and puzzled way, as if all were new to them.

s this singular being reclined on Madge's bed and awoke toonsciousness, as from a long sleep, the old Scotchwoman began touestion her a little.

What do they call you, my dear?" said she.

Nell," replied the girl.

Do you feel anything the matter with you, Nell?"

I am hungry. I have eaten nothing since--since--"

ell uttered these few words like one unused to speak much. They weren the Gaelic language, which was often spoken by Simon and his family.adge immediately brought her some food; she was evidently famished. Itwas impossible to say how long she might have been in that pit.

How many days had you been down there, dearie?" inquired Madge.

ell made no answer; she seemed not to understand the question.

How many days, do you think?"

Days?" repeated Nell, as though the word had no meaning for her, andhe shook her head to signify entire want of comprehension.

adge took her hand, and stroked it caressingly. "How old are you, myassie?" she asked, smiling kindly at her.

ell shook her head again.

Yes, yes," continued Madge, "how many years old?"

Years?" replied Nell. She seemed to understand that word no better thanays! Simon, Harry, Jack, and the rest, looked on with an air of mingledompassion, wonder, and sympathy. The state of this poor thing, clothed

n a miserable garment of coarse woolen stuff, seemed to impress themainfully.

arry, more than all the rest, seemed attracted by the very peculiarityf this poor stranger. He drew near, took Nell's hand from his mother,nd looked directly at her, while something like a smile curved herip. "Nell," he said, "Nell, away down there--in the mine--were you alllone?"

Alone! alone!" cried the girl, raising herself hastily. Her featuresxpressed terror; her eyes, which had appeared to soften as Harry lookedt her, became quite wild again. "Alone!" repeated she, "alone!"--andhe fell back on the bed, as though deprived of all strength.




The poor bairn is too weak to speak to us," said Madge, when she haddjusted the pillows. "After a good rest, and a little more food, shewill be stronger. Come away, Simon and Harry, and all the rest of you,nd let her go to sleep." So Nell was left alone, and in a very fewinutes slept profoundly.

his event caused a great sensation, not only in the coal mines, but intirlingshire, and ultimately throughout the kingdom. The strangeness ofhe story was exaggerated; the affair could not have made more commotionad they found the girl enclosed in the solid rock, like one of thosentediluvian creatures who have occasionally been released by a strokef the pickax from their stony prison. Nell became a fashionable wonderwithout knowing it. Superstitious folks made her story a new subject foregendary marvels, and were inclined to think, as Jack Ryan told Harry,hat Nell was the spirit of the mines.

Be it so, Jack," said the young man; "but at any rate she is the goodpirit. It can have been none but she who brought us bread and waterwhen we were shut up down there; and as to the bad spirit, who musttill be in the mine, we'll catch him some day."

f course James Starr had been at once informed of all this, and came,s soon as the young girl had sufficiently recovered her strength, toee her, and endeavor to question her carefully.

he appeared ignorant of nearly everything relating to life, and,lthough evidently intelligent, was wanting in many elementary ideas,uch as time, for instance. She had never been used to its division, andhe words signifying hours, days, months, and years were unknown to her.

er eyes, accustomed to the night, were pained by the glare of thelectric discs; but in the dark her sight was wonderfully keen, theupil dilated in a remarkable manner, and she could see where to othershere appeared profound obscurity. It was certain that her brain hadever received any impression of the outer world, that her eyes hadever looked beyond the mine, and that these somber depths had been allhe world to her.

he poor girl probably knew not that there were a sun and stars, towns

nd counties, a mighty universe composed of myriads of worlds. Butntil she comprehended the significance of words at present conveying norecise meaning to her, it was impossible to ascertain what she knew.

s to whether or not Nell had lived alone in the recesses of Newberfoyle, James Starr was obliged to remain uncertain; indeed, anyllusion to the subject excited evident alarm in the mind of thistrange girl. Either Nell could not or would not reply to questions, buthat some secret existed in connection with the place, which she couldave explained, was manifest.

Should you like to stay with us? Should you like to go back to where weound you?" asked James Starr.

Oh, yes!" exclaimed the maiden, in answer to his first question; but ary of terror was all she seemed able to say to the second.

ames Starr, as well as Simon and Harry Ford, could not help feeling certain amount of uneasiness with regard to this persistent silence.hey found it impossible to forget all that had appeared so inexplicablet the time they made the discovery of the coal mine; and although thatwas three years ago, and nothing new had happened, they always expectedome fresh attack on the part of the invisible enemy.

hey resolved to explore the mysterious well, and did so, well armednd in considerable numbers. But nothing suspicious was to be seen; thehaft communicated with lower stages of the crypt, hollowed out in thearboniferous bed.




any a time did James Starr, Simon, and Harry talk over these things. Ifne or more malevolent beings were concealed in the coal-pit, and thereoncocted mischief, Nell surely could have warned them of it, yet sheaid nothing. The slightest allusion to her past life brought on suchits of violent emotion, that it was judged best to avoid the subjector the present. Her secret would certainly escape her by-and-by.

y the time Nell had been a fortnight in the cottage, she had become aost intelligent and zealous assistant to old Madge. It was clear thathe instinctively felt she should remain in the dwelling where she hadeen so charitably received, and perhaps never dreamt of quitting it.his family was all in all to her, and to the good folks themselves Nellad seemed an adopted child from the moment when she first came beneathheir roof. Nell was in truth a charming creature; her new mode ofxistence added to her beauty, for these were no doubt the first happyays of her life, and her heart was full of gratitude towards those towhom she owed them. Madge felt towards her as a mother would; the oldwoman doted upon her; in short, she was beloved by everybody. Jack Ryannly regretted one thing, which was that he had not saved her himself.riend Jack often came to the cottage. He sang, and Nell, who had nevereard singing before, admired it greatly; but anyone might see that shereferred to Jack's songs the graver conversation of Harry, from whom byegrees she learnt truths concerning the outer world, of which hitherto

he had known nothing.

t must be said that, since Nell had appeared in her own person, JackRyan had been obliged to admit that his belief in hobgoblins was in aeasure weakened. A couple of months later his credulity experienced further shock. About that time Harry unexpectedly made a discoverywhich, in part at least, accounted for the apparition of theire-maidens among the ruins of Dundonald Castle at Irvine.

uring several days he had been engaged in exploring the remotealleries of the prodigious excavation towards the south. At last hecrambled with difficulty up a narrow passage which branched off throughhe upper rock. To his great astonishment, he suddenly found himself inhe open air. The passage, after ascending obliquely to the surface ofhe ground, led out directly among the ruins of Dundonald Castle.

here was, therefore, a communication between New Aberfoyle and theills crowned by this ancient castle. The upper entrance to thisallery, being completely concealed by stones and brushwood, wasnvisible from without; at the time of their search, therefore, theagistrates had been able to discover nothing.

few days afterwards, James Starr, guided by Harry, came himself tonspect this curious natural opening into the coal mine. "Well,"aid he, "here is enough to convince the most superstitious among us.arewell to all their brownies, goblins, and fire-maidens now!"

I hardly think, Mr. Starr, we ought to congratulate ourselves," repliedarry. "Whatever it is we have instead of these things, it can't be

etter, and may be worse than they are."

That's true, Harry," said the engineer; "but what's to be done? It islain that, whatever the beings are who hide in the mine, they reachhe surface of the earth by this passage. No doubt it was the light oforches waved by them during that dark and stormy night which attractedhe MOTALA towards the rocky coast, and like the wreckers of formerays, they would have plundered the unfortunate vessel, had it not beenor Jack Ryan and his friends. Anyhow, so far it is evident, and heres the mouth of the den. As to its occupants, the question is--Are theyere still?"

I say yes; because Nell trembles when we mention them--yes, becauseell will not, or dare not, speak about them," answered Harry in a tone




f decision.

arry was surely in the right. Had these mysterious denizens of the pitbandoned it, or ceased to visit the spot, what reason could the girlave had for keeping silence?

ames Starr could not rest till he had penetrated this mystery. Heoresaw that the whole future of the new excavations must depend upont. Renewed and strict precautions were therefore taken. The authoritieswere informed of the discovery of the entrance. Watchers were placedmong the ruins of the castle. Harry himself lay hid for several nightsn the thickets of brushwood which clothed the hill-side.

othing was discovered--no human being emerged from the opening. Soost people came to the conclusion that the villains had been finallyislodged from the mine, and that, as to Nell, they must suppose her toe dead at the bottom of the shaft where they had left her.

While it remained unworked, the mine had been a safe enough place ofefuge, secure from all search or pursuit. But now, circumstances beingltered, it became difficult to conceal this lurking-place, and it mighteasonably be hoped they were gone, and that nothing for the future waso be dreaded from them.

ames Starr, however, could not feel sure about it; neither could Harrye satisfied on the subject, often repeating, "Nell has clearly beenixed up with all this secret business. If she had nothing more to fear,why should she keep silence? It cannot be doubted that she is happy withs. She likes us all--she adores my mother. Her absolute silence as toer former life, when by speaking out she might benefit us, proves to mehat some awful secret, which she dares not reveal, weighs on herind. It may also be that she believes it better for us, as well asor herself, that she should remain mute in a way otherwise sonaccountable."

n consequence of these opinions, it was agreed by common consento avoid all allusion to the maiden's former mode of life. One day,owever, Harry was led to make known to Nell what James Starr, his

ather, mother, and himself believed they owed to her interference.

t was a fete-day. The miners made holiday on the surface of theounty of Stirling as well as in its subterraneous domains. Parties ofoliday-makers were moving about in all directions. Songs resounded inany places beneath the sonorous vaults of New Aberfoyle. Harry and Nelleft the cottage, and slowly walked along the left bank of Loch Malcolm.

hen the electric brilliance darted less vividly, and the rays werenterrupted with fantastic effect by the sharp angles of the picturesqueocks which supported the dome. This imperfect light suited Nell, towhose eyes a glare was very unpleasant.

Nell," said Harry, "your eyes are not fit for daylight yet, and could

ot bear the brightness of the sun."

Indeed they could not," replied the girl; "if the sun is such as youescribe it to me, Harry."

I cannot by any words, Nell, give you an idea either of his splendorr of the beauty of that universe which your eyes have never beheld. Butell me, is it really possible that, since the day when you were born inhe depths of the coal mine, you never once have been up to the surfacef the earth?"

Never once, Harry," said she; "I do not believe that, even as annfant, my father or mother ever carried me thither. I am sure I shouldave retained some impression of the open air if they had."




I believe you would," answered Harry. "Long ago, Nell, many childrensed to live altogether in the mine; communication was then difficult,nd I have met with more than one young person, quite as ignorant as youre of things above-ground. But now the railway through our great tunnelakes us in a few minutes to the upper regions of our country. I long,ell, to hear you say, 'Come, Harry, my eyes can bear daylight, and Iwant to see the sun! I want to look upon the works of the Almighty.'"

I shall soon say so, Harry, I hope," replied the girl; "I shall soon gowith you to the world above; and yet--"

What are you going to say, Nell?" hastily cried Harry; "can youossibly regret having quitted that gloomy abyss in which you spent yourarly years, and whence we drew you half dead?"

No, Harry," answered Nell; "I was only thinking that darkness iseautiful as well as light. If you but knew what eyes accustomed to itsepth can see! Shades flit by, which one longs to follow; circles minglend intertwine, and one could gaze on them forever; black hollows, fullf indefinite gleams of radiance, lie deep at the bottom of the mine.nd then the voice-like sounds! Ah, Harry! one must have lived downhere to understand what I feel, what I can never express."

And were you not afraid, Nell, all alone there?"

It was just when I was alone that I was not afraid."

ell's voice altered slightly as she said these words; however, Harryhought he might press the subject a little further, so he said, "Butne might be easily lost in these great galleries, Nell. Were you notfraid of losing your way?"

Oh, no, Harry; for a long time I had known every turn of the new mine."

Did you never leave it?"

Yes, now and then," answered the girl with a little hesitation;

sometimes I have been as far as the old mine of Aberfoyle."

So you knew our old cottage?"

The cottage! oh, yes; but the people who lived there I only saw at areat distance."

They were my father and mother," said Harry; "and I was there too; weave always lived there--we never would give up the old dwelling."

Perhaps it would have been better for you if you had," murmured theaiden.

Why so, Nell? Was it not just because we were obstinately resolved to

emain that we ended by discovering the new vein of coal? And did nothat discovery lead to the happy result of providing work for a largeopulation, and restoring them to ease and comfort? and did it notnable us to find you, Nell, to save your life, and give you the love ofll our hearts?"

Ah, yes, for me indeed it is well, whatever may happen," replied Nellarnestly; "for others--who can tell?"

What do you mean?"

Oh, nothing--nothing. But it used to be very dangerous at that time too into the new cutting--yes, very dangerous indeed, Harry! Once someash people made their way into these chasms. They got a long, long way;




hey were lost!"

They were lost?" said Harry, looking at her.

Yes, lost!" repeated Nell in a trembling voice. "They could not findheir way out."

And there," cried Harry, "they were imprisoned during eight longays! They were at the point of death, Nell; and, but for a kind andharitable being--an angel perhaps--sent by God to help them, whoecretly brought them a little food; but for a mysterious guide, whofterwards led to them their deliverers, they never would have escapedrom that living tomb!"

And how do you know about that?" demanded the girl.

Because those men were James Starr, my father, and myself, Nell!"

ell looked up hastily, seized the young man's hand, and gazed soixedly into his eyes that his feelings were stirred to their depths.You were there?" at last she uttered.

I was indeed," said Harry, after a pause, "and she to whom we owe ourives can have been none other than yourself, Nell!"

ell hid her face in her hands without speaking. Harry had never seener so much affected.

Those who saved your life, Nell," added he in a voice tremulous withmotion, "already owed theirs to you; do you think they will ever forgett?"

HAPTER XIII. ON THE REVOLVING LADDER

HE mining operations at New Aberfoyle continued to be carried on veryuccessfully. As a matter of course, the engineer, James Starr, as well

s Simon Ford, the discoverers of this rich carboniferous region, sharedargely in the profits.

n time Harry became a partner. But he never thought of quittinghe cottage. He took his father's place as overman, and diligentlyuperintended the works of this colony of miners. Jack Ryan was proudnd delighted at the good fortune which had befallen his comrade. Heimself was getting on very well also.

hey frequently met, either at the cottage or at the works in the pit.ack did not fail to remark the sentiments entertained by Harry towardsell. Harry would not confess to them; but Jack only laughed at him whene shook his head and tried to deny any special interest in her.

t must be noted that Jack Ryan had the greatest possible wish to be ofhe party when Nell should pay her first visit to the upper surface ofhe county of Stirling. He wished to see her wonder and admiration onirst beholding the yet unknown face of Nature. He very much hoped thatarry would take him with them when the excursion was made. As yet,owever, the latter had made no proposal of the kind to him, whichaused him to feel a little uneasy as to his intentions.

ne morning Jack Ryan was descending through a shaft which led from theurface to the lower regions of the pit. He did so by means of one ofhose ladders which, continually revolving by machinery, enabled personso ascend and descend without fatigue. This apparatus had loweredim about a hundred and fifty feet, when at a narrow landing-place heerceived Harry, who was coming up to his labors for the day.




Well met, my friend!" cried Jack, recognizing his comrade by the lightf the electric lamps.

Ah, Jack!" replied Harry, "I am glad to see you. I've got something toropose."

I can listen to nothing till you tell me how Nell is," interrupted JackRyan.

Nell is all right, Jack--so much so, in fact, that I hope in a month orix weeks--"

To marry her, Harry?"

Jack, you don't know what you are talking about!"

Ah, that's very likely; but I know quite well what I shall do."

What will you do?"

Marry her myself, if you don't; so look sharp," laughed Jack. "By Saintungo! I think an immense deal of bonny Nell! A fine young creature likehat, who has been brought up in the mine, is just the very wife for a

iner. She is an orphan--so am I; and if you don't care much for her,nd if she will have me--"

arry looked gravely at Jack, and let him talk on without trying totop him. "Don't you begin to feel jealous, Harry?" asked Jack in a moreerious tone.

Not at all," answered Harry quietly.

But if you don't marry Nell yourself, you surely can't expect her toemain a spinster?"

I expect nothing," said Harry.

movement of the ladder machinery now gave the two friends the

pportunity--one to go up, the other down the shaft. However, theyemained where they were.

Harry," quoth Jack, "do you think I spoke in earnest just now aboutell?"

No, that I don't, Jack."

Well, but now I will!"

You? speak in earnest?"

My good fellow, I can tell you I am quite capable of giving a friend ait of advice."

Let's hear, then, Jack!"

Well, look here! You love Nell as heartily as she deserves. Old Simon,our father, and old Madge, your mother, both love her as if she wereheir daughter. Why don't you make her so in reality? Why don't youarry her?"

Come, Jack," said Harry, "you are running on as if you knew how Nellelt on the subject."

Everybody knows that," replied Jack, "and therefore it is impossible toake you jealous of any of us. But here goes the ladder again--I'm off!"




Stop a minute, Jack!" cried Harry, detaining his companion, who wastepping onto the moving staircase.

I say! you seem to mean me to take up my quarters here altogether!"

Do be serious and listen, Jack! I want to speak in earnest myself now."

Well, I'll listen till the ladder moves again, not a minute longer."

Jack," resumed Harry, "I need not pretend that I do not love Nell; Iwish above all things to make her my wife."

That's all right!"

But for the present I have scruples of conscience as to asking her toake me a promise which would be irrevocable."

What can you mean, Harry?"

I mean just this--that, it being certain Nell has never been outsidehis coal mine in the very depths of which she was born, it stands toeason that she knows nothing, and can comprehend nothing of what existseyond it. Her eyes--yes, and perhaps also her heart--have everything

et to learn. Who can tell what her thoughts will be, when perfectly newmpressions shall be made upon her mind? As yet she knows nothing ofhe world, and to me it would seem like deceiving her, if I led her toecide in ignorance, upon choosing to remain all her life in the coaline. Do you understand me, Jack?"

Hem!--yes--pretty well. What I understand best is that you are going toake me miss another turn of the ladder."

Jack," replied Harry gravely, "if this machinery were to stopltogether, if this landing-place were to fall beneath our feet, youust and shall hear what I have to say."

Well done, Harry! that's how I like to be spoken to! Let's settle,hen, that, before you marry Nell, she shall go to school in Auld

Reekie."

No indeed, Jack; I am perfectly able myself to educate the person whos to be my wife."

Sure that will be a great deal better, Harry!"

But, first of all," resumed Harry, "I wish that Nell should gain a realnowledge of the upper world. To illustrate my meaning, Jack, supposeou were in love with a blind girl, and someone said to you, 'In aonth's time her sight will be restored,' would you not wait till afterhe was cured, to marry her?"

Faith, to be sure I would!" exclaimed Jack.

Well, Jack, Nell is at present blind; and before she marries me, I wisher to see what I am, and what the life really is to which she wouldind herself. In short, she must have daylight let in upon the subject!"

Well said, Harry! Very well said indeed!" cried Jack. "Now I see whatou are driving at. And when may we expect the operation to come off?"

In a month, Jack," replied Harry. "Nell is getting used to the light ofur reflectors. That is some preparation. In a month she will, I hope,ave seen the earth and its wonders--the sky and its splendors. She willerceive that the limits of the universe are boundless."




ut while Harry was thus giving the rein to his imagination, Jack Ryan,uitting the platform, had leaped on the step of the moving machinery.

Hullo, Jack! Where are you?"

Far beneath you," laughed the merry fellow. "While you soar to theeights, I plunge into the depths."

Fare ye well. Jack!" returned Harry, himself laying hold of the risingadder; "mind you say nothing about what I have been telling you."

Not a word," shouted Jack, "but I make one condition."

What is that?"

That I may be one of the party when Nell's first excursion to the facef the earth comes off!"

So you shall, Jack, I promise you!"

fresh throb of the machinery placed a yet more considerable distanceetween the friends. Their voices sounded faintly to each other. Harry,owever, could still hear Jack shouting:

I say! do you know what Nell will like better than either sun, moon, ortars, after she's seen the whole of them?"

No, Jack!"

Why, you yourself, old fellow! still you! always you!" And Jack's voiceied away in a prolonged "Hurrah!"

arry, after this, applied himself diligently, during all his spareime, to the work of Nell's education. He taught her to read and towrite, and such rapid progress did she make, it might have been saidhat she learnt by instinct. Never did keen intelligence more quicklyriumph over utter ignorance. It was the wonder of all beholders.

imon and Madge became every day more and more attached to their adopted

hild, whose former history continued to puzzle them a good deal. Theylainly saw the nature of Harry's feelings towards her, and were farrom displeased thereat. They recollected that Simon had said to thengineer on his first visit to the old cottage, "How can our son everhink of marrying? Where could a wife possibly be found suitable for aad whose whole life must be passed in the depths of a coal mine?"

Well! now it seemed as if the most desirable companion in the world hadeen led to him by Providence. Was not this like a blessing direct fromeaven? So the old man made up his mind that, if the wedding did takelace, the miners of New Aberfoyle should have a merry-making at Coalown, which they would never during their lives forget. Simon Fordittle knew what he was saying!

t must be remarked that another person wished for this union of Harrynd Nell as much as Simon did--and that was James Starr, the engineer.f course he was really interested in the happiness of the two youngeople. But another motive, connected with wider interests, influencedim to desire it.

t has been said that James Starr continued to entertain a certainmount of apprehension, although for the present nothing appeared toustify it. Yet that which had been might again be. This mystery abouthe new cutting--Nell was evidently the only person acquainted with it.ow, if fresh dangers were in store for the miners of Aberfoyle, howwere they possibly to be guarded against, without so much as knowing theause of them?




Nell has persisted in keeping silence," said James Starr very often,but what she has concealed from others, she will not long hide from herusband. Any danger would be danger to Harry as well as to the restf us. Therefore, a marriage which brings happiness to the lovers, andafety to their friends, will be a good marriage, if ever there is such thing here below."

hus, not illogically, reasoned James Starr. He communicated his ideaso old Simon, who decidedly appreciated them. Nothing, then, appeared totand in the way of the match. What, in fact, was there to prevent it?hey loved each other; the parents desired nothing better for their son.arry's comrades envied his good fortune, but freely acknowledged thate deserved it. The maiden depended on no one else, and had but to givehe consent of her own heart.

Why, then, if there were none to place obstacles in the way of thisnion--why, as night came on, and, the labors of the day being over, thelectric lights in the mine were extinguished, and all the inhabitantsf Coal Town at rest within their dwellings--why did a mysterious formlways emerge from the gloomier recesses of New Aberfoyle, and silentlylide through the darkness?

What instinct guided this phantom with ease through passages so narrows to appear to be impracticable?

Why should the strange being, with eyes flashing through the deepestarkness, come cautiously creeping along the shores of Lake Malcolm? Whyo directly make his way towards Simon's cottage, yet so carefullys hitherto to avoid notice? Why, bending towards the windows, did hetrive to catch, by listening, some fragment of the conversation withinhe closed shutters?

nd, on catching a few words, why did he shake his fist with a menacingesture towards the calm abode, while from between his set teeth issuedhese words in muttered fury, "She and he? Never! never!"

HAPTER XIV. A SUNRISE

MONTH after this, on the evening of the 20th of August, Simon Ford andadge took leave, with all manner of good wishes, of four tourists, whowere setting forth from the cottage.

ames Starr, Harry, and Jack Ryan were about to lead Nell's steps overet untrodden paths, and to show her the glories of nature by a light towhich she was as yet a stranger. The excursion was to last for two days.ames Starr, as well as Harry, considered that during these eightnd forty hours spent above ground, the maiden would be able to seeverything of which she must have remained ignorant in the gloomy pit;ll the varied aspects of the globe, towns, plains, mountains, rivers,akes, gulfs, and seas would pass, panorama-like, before her eyes.

n that part of Scotland lying between Edinburgh and Glasgow, naturewould seem to have collected and set forth specimens of every one ofhese terrestrial beauties. As to the heavens, they would be spreadbroad as over the whole earth, with their changeful clouds, serene oreiled moon, their radiant sun, and clustering stars. The expedition hadeen planned so as to combine a view of all these things.

imon and Madge would have been glad to go with Nell; but they nevereft their cottage willingly, and could not make up their minds to quitheir subterranean home for a single day.

ames Starr went as an observer and philosopher, curious to note, from psychological point of view, the novel impressions made upon Nell;




erhaps also with some hope of detecting a clue to the mysterious eventsonnected with her childhood. Harry, with a little trepidation, askedimself whether it was not possible that this rapid initiation into thehings of the exterior world would change the maiden he had known andoved hitherto into quite a different girl. As for Jack Ryan, he was asoyous as a lark rising in the first beams of the sun. He only trustedhat his gayety would prove contagious, and enliven his travelingompanions, thus rewarding them for letting him join them. Nell wasensive and silent.

ames Starr had decided, very sensibly, to set off in the evening.t would be very much better for the girl to pass gradually from thearkness of night to the full light of day; and that would in this waye managed, since between midnight and noon she would experience theuccessive phases of shade and sunshine, to which her sight had to getccustomed.

ust as they left the cottage, Nell took Harry's hand saying, "Harry, ist really necessary for me to leave the mine at all, even for these feways?"

Yes, it is, Nell," replied the young man. "It is needful for both ofs."

But, Harry," resumed Nell, "ever since you found me, I have been asappy as I can possibly be. You have been teaching me. Why is that notnough? What am I going up there for?"

arry looked at her in silence. Nell was giving utterance to nearly hiswn thoughts.

My child," said James Starr, "I can well understand the hesitation youeel; but it will be good for you to go with us. Those who love you areaking you, and they will bring you back again. Afterwards you will beree, if you wish it, to continue your life in the coal mine, likeld Simon, and Madge, and Harry. But at least you ought to be ableo compare what you give up with what you choose, then decide freely.ome!"

Come, dear Nell!" cried Harry.

Harry, I am willing to follow you," replied the maiden. At nine'clock the last train through the tunnel started to convey Nell ander companions to the surface of the earth. Twenty minutes later theylighted on the platform where the branch line to New Aberfoyle joinshe railway from Dumbarton to Stirling.

he night was already dark. From the horizon to the zenith, lightapory clouds hurried through the upper air, driven by a refreshingorthwesterly breeze. The day had been lovely; the night promised to beo likewise.

n reaching Stirling, Nell and her friends, quitting the train, left the

tation immediately. Just before them, between high trees, they couldee a road which led to the banks of the river Forth.

he first physical impression on the girl was the purity of the airnhaled eagerly by her lungs.

Breathe it freely, Nell," said James Starr; "it is fragrant with allhe scents of the open country."

What is all that smoke passing over our heads?" inquired Nell.

Those are clouds," answered Harry, "blown along by the westerly wind."

Ah!" said Nell, "how I should like to feel myself carried along in that




ilent whirl! And what are those shining sparks which glance here andhere between rents in the clouds?"

Those are the stars I have told you about, Nell. So many suns they are,o many centers of worlds like our own, most likely."

he constellations became more clearly visible as the wind cleared thelouds from the deep blue of the firmament. Nell gazed upon the myriadtars which sparkled overhead. "But how is it," she said at length,that if these are suns, my eyes can endure their brightness?"

My child," replied James Starr, "they are indeed suns, but suns at annormous distance. The nearest of these millions of stars, whose raysan reach us, is Vega, that star in Lyra which you observe near theenith, and that is fifty thousand millions of leagues distant. Itsrightness, therefore, cannot affect your vision. But our own sun, whichwill rise to-morrow, is only distant thirty-eight millions of leagues,nd no human eye can gaze fixedly upon that, for it is brighter than thelaze of any furnace. But come, Nell, come!"

hey pursued their way, James Starr leading the maiden, Harry walkingy her side, while Jack Ryan roamed about like a young dog, impatient ofhe slow pace of his masters. The road was lonely. Nell kept looking athe great trees, whose branches, waving in the wind, made them seem to

er like giants gesticulating wildly. The sound of the breeze in theree-tops, the deep silence during a lull, the distant line of theorizon, which could be discerned when the road passed over openevels--all these things filled her with new sensations, and leftasting impressions on her mind.

fter some time she ceased to ask questions, and her companionsespected her silence, not wishing to influence by any words of theirshe girl's highly sensitive imagination, but preferring to allow ideaso arise spontaneously in her soul.

t about half past eleven o'clock, they gained the banks of the riverorth. There a boat, chartered by James Starr, awaited them. In a fewours it would convey them all to Granton. Nell looked at the clearwater which flowed up to her feet, as the waves broke gently on the

each, reflecting the starlight. "Is this a lake?" said she.

No," replied Harry, "it is a great river flowing towards the sea, andoon opening so widely as to resemble a gulf. Taste a little of thewater in the hollow of your hand, Nell, and you will perceive that it isot sweet like the waters of Lake Malcolm."

he maiden bent towards the stream, and, raising a little water to herips, "This is quite salt," said she.

Yes, the tide is full; the sea water flows up the river as far ashis," answered Harry.

Oh, Harry! Harry!" exclaimed the maiden, "what can that red glow on the

orizon be? Is it a forest on fire?"

No, it is the rising moon, Nell."

To be sure, that's the moon," cried Jack Ryan, "a fine big silverlate, which the spirits of air hand round and round the sky to collecthe stars in, like money."

Why, Jack," said the engineer, laughing, "I had no idea you couldtrike out such bold comparisons!"

Well, but, Mr. Starr, it is a just comparison. Don't you see the starsisappear as the moon passes on? so I suppose they drop into it."




What you mean to say, Jack, is that the superior brilliancy of the moonclipses that of stars of the sixth magnitude, therefore they vanish ashe approaches."

How beautiful all this is!" repeated Nell again and again, with herwhole soul in her eyes. "But I thought the moon was round?"

So she is, when 'full,'" said James Starr; "that means when she is justpposite to the sun. But to-night the moon is in the last quarter, shornf her just proportions, and friend Jack's grand silver plate looks moreike a barber's basin."

Oh, Mr. Starr, what a base comparison!" he exclaimed, "I was just goingo begin a sonnet to the moon, but your barber's basin has destroyed allhance of an inspiration."

radually the moon ascended the heavens. Before her light the lingeringlouds fled away, while stars still sparkled in the west, beyondhe influence of her radiance. Nell gazed in silence on the gloriouspectacle. The soft silvery light was pleasant to her eyes, and herittle trembling hand expressed to Harry, who clasped it, how deeply shewas affected by the scene.

Let us embark now," said James Starr. "We have to get to the top of

rthur's Seat before sunrise."

he boat was moored to a post on the bank. A boatman awaited them. Nellnd her friends took their seats; the sail was spread; it quickly filledefore the northwesterly breeze, and they sped on their way.

What a new sensation was this for the maiden! She had been rowed on thewaters of Lake Malcolm; but the oar, handled ever so lightly by Harry,lways betrayed effort on the part of the oarsman. Now, for the firstime, Nell felt herself borne along with a gliding movement, like thatf a balloon through the air. The water was smooth as a lake, andell reclined in the stern of the boat, enjoying its gentle rocking.ccasionally the effect of the moonlight on the waters was as though theoat sailed across a glittering silver field. Little wavelets rippledlong the banks. It was enchanting.

t length Nell was overcome with drowsiness, her eyelids drooped, heread sank on Harry's shoulder--she slept. Harry, sorry that she shouldiss any of the beauties of this magnificent night, would have arouseder.

Let her sleep!" said the engineer. "She will better enjoy the noveltiesf the day after a couple of hours' rest."

t two o'clock in the morning the boat reached Granton pier. Nell awoke.Have I been asleep?" inquired she.

No, my child," said James Starr. "You have been dreaming that youlept, that's all."

he night continued clear. The moon, riding in mid-heaven, diffuseder rays on all sides. In the little port of Granton lay two or threeishing boats; they rocked gently on the waters of the Firth. The windell as the dawn approached. The atmosphere, clear of mists, promisedne of those fine autumn days so delicious on the sea coast.

soft, transparent film of vapor lay along the horizon; the firstunbeam would dissipate it; to the maiden it exhibited that aspect ofhe sea which seems to blend it with the sky. Her view was now enlarged,without producing the impression of the boundless infinity of ocean.

arry taking Nell's hand, they followed James Starr and Jack Ryan ashey traversed the deserted streets. To Nell, this suburb of the capital




ppeared only a collection of gloomy dark houses, just like Coal Town,nly that the roof was higher, and gleamed with small lights.

he stepped lightly forward, and easily kept pace with Harry. "Are youot tired, Nell?" asked he, after half an hour's walking.

No! my feet seem scarcely to touch the earth," returned she. "This skybove us seems so high up, I feel as if I could take wing and fly!"

I say! keep hold of her!" cried Jack Ryan. "Our little Nell is too goodo lose. I feel just as you describe though, myself, when I have noteft the pit for a long time."

It is when we no longer experience the oppressive effect of the vaultedocky roof above Coal Town," said James Starr, "that the spaciousirmament appears to us like a profound abyss into which we have, as itwere, a desire to plunge. Is that what you feel, Nell?"

Yes, Mr. Starr, it is exactly like that," said Nell. "It makes me feeliddy."

Ah! you will soon get over that, Nell," said Harry. "You will get usedo the outer world, and most likely forget all about our dark coal pit."

No, Harry, never!" said Nell, and she put her hand over her eyes, ashough she would recall the remembrance of everything she had latelyuitted.

etween the silent dwellings of the city, the party passed along LeithWalk, and went round the Calton Hill, where stood, in the light of theray dawn, the buildings of the Observatory and Nelson's Monument. ByRegent's Bridge and the North Bridge they at last reached the lowerxtremity of the Canongate. The town still lay wrapt in slumber.

ell pointed to a large building in the center of an open space, asking,What great confused mass is that?"

That confused mass, Nell, is the palace of the ancient kings ofcotland; that is Holyrood, where many a sad scene has been enacted! The

istorian can here invoke many a royal shade; from those of the earlycottish kings to that of the unhappy Mary Stuart, and the French king,harles X. When day breaks, however, Nell, this palace will not looko very gloomy. Holyrood, with its four embattled towers, is not unlikeome handsome country house. But let us pursue our way. There, justbove the ancient Abbey of Holyrood, are the superb cliffs calledalisbury Crags. Arthur's Seat rises above them, and that is wherewe are going. From the summit of Arthur's Seat, Nell, your eyes shallehold the sun appear above the horizon seaward."

hey entered the King's Park, then, gradually ascending they passedcross the Queen's Drive, a splendid carriageway encircling the hill,which we owe to a few lines in one of Sir Walter Scott's romances.

rthur's Seat is in truth only a hill, seven hundred and fifty feetigh, which stands alone amid surrounding heights. In less than halfn hour, by an easy winding path, James Starr and his party reached therest of the crouching lion, which, seen from the west, Arthur's Seat souch resembles. There, all four seated themselves; and James Starr, eveready with quotations from the great Scottish novelist, simply said,Listen to what is written by Sir Walter Scott in the eighth chapterf the Heart of Mid-Lothian. 'If I were to choose a spot from which theising or setting sun could be seen to the greatest possible advantage,t would be from this neighborhood.' Now watch, Nell! the sun will soonppear, and for the first time you will contemplate its splendor."

he maiden turned her eyes eastward. Harry, keeping close besideer, observed her with anxious interest. Would the first beams of day




verpower her feelings? All remained quiet, even Jack Ryan. A fainttreak of pale rose tinted the light vapors of the horizon. It was theirst ray of light attacking the laggards of the night. Beneath the hillay the silent city, massed confusedly in the twilight of dawn. Here andhere lights twinkled among the houses of the old town. Westward roseany hill-tops, soon to be illuminated by tips of fire.

ow the distant horizon of the sea became more plainly visible. Thecale of colors fell into the order of the solar. Every instant theyncreased in intensity, rose color became red, red became fiery,aylight dawned. Nell now glanced towards the city, of which theutlines became more distinct. Lofty monuments, slender steeples emergedrom the gloom; a kind of ashy light was spread abroad. At length oneolitary ray struck on the maiden's sight. It was that ray of greenwhich, morning or evening, is reflected upwards from the sea when theorizon is clear.

n instant afterwards, Nell turned, and pointing towards a brightrominent point in the New Town, "Fire!" cried she.

No, Nell, that is no fire," said Harry. "The sun has touched with goldhe top of Sir Walter Scott's monument"--and, indeed, the extreme pointf the monument blazed like the light of a pharos.

t was day--the sun arose--his disc seemed to glitter as though hendeed emerged from the waters of the sea. Appearing at first very largerom the effects of refraction, he contracted as he rose and assumed theerfectly circular form. Soon no eye could endure the dazzling splendor;t was as though the mouth of a furnace was opened through the sky.

ell closed her eyes, but her eyelids could not exclude the glare, andhe pressed her fingers over them. Harry advised her to turn in thepposite direction. "Oh, no," said she, "my eyes must get used to lookt what yours can bear to see!"

ven through her hands Nell perceived a rosy light, which became morewhite as the sun rose above the horizon. As her sight became accustomedo it, her eyelids were raised, and at length her eyes drank in theight of day.

he good child knelt down, exclaiming, "Oh Lord God! how beautiful ishy creation!" Then she rose and looked around. At her feet extended theanorama of Edinburgh--the clear, distinct lines of streets in the Newown, and the irregular mass of houses, with their confused network oftreets and lanes, which constitutes Auld Reekie, properly so called.wo heights commanded the entire city; Edinburgh Castle, crowning itsuge basaltic rock, and the Calton Hill, bearing on its rounded summit,mong other monuments, ruins built to represent those of the Parthenont Athens.

ine roadways led in all directions from the capital. To the north, theoast of the noble Firth of Forth was indented by a deep bay, in whichould be seen the seaport town of Leith, between which and this Modern

thens of the north ran a street, straight as that leading to theiraeus.

eyond the wide Firth could be seen the soft outlines of the countyf Fife, while beneath the spectator stretched the yellow sands ofortobello and Newhaven.

ell could not speak. Her lips murmured a word or two indistinctly; sherembled, became giddy, her strength failed her; overcome by the purityf the air and the sublimity of the scene, she sank fainting intoarry's arms, who, watching her closely, was ready to support her.

he youthful maiden, hitherto entombed in the massive depths of thearth, had now obtained an idea of the universe--of the works both of




od and of man. She had looked upon town and country, and beyond these,nto the immensity of the sea, the infinity of the heavens.

HAPTER XV. LOCH LOMOND AND LOCH KATRINE

ARRY bore Nell carefully down the steeps of Arthur's Seat, and,ccompanied by James Starr and Jack Ryan, they reached Lambert's Hotel.here a good breakfast restored their strength, and they began to makeurther plans for an excursion to the Highland lakes.

ell was now refreshed, and able to look boldly forth into the sunshine,while her lungs with ease inhaled the free and healthful air. Her eyesearned gladly to know the harmonious varieties of color as they restedn the green trees, the azure skies, and all the endless shades ofovely flowers and plants.

he railway train, which they entered at the Waverley Station, conveyedell and her friends to Glasgow. There, from the new bridge across thelyde, they watched the curious sea-like movement of the river. After night's rest at Comrie's Royal Hotel, they betook themselves to theerminus of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, from whence a train would

apidly carry them, by way of Dumbarton and Balloch, to the southernxtremity of Loch Lomond.

Now for the land of Rob Roy and Fergus MacIvor!--the scenerymmortalized by the poetical descriptions of Walter Scott," exclaimedames Starr. "You don't know this country, Jack?"

Only by its songs, Mr. Starr," replied Jack; "and judging by those, itust be grand."

So it is, so it is!" cried the engineer, "and our dear Nell shall seet to the best advantage."

steamboat, the SINCLAIR by name, awaited tourists about to make thexcursion to the lakes. Nell and her companions went on board. The day

ad begun in brilliant sunshine, free from the British fogs which soften veil the skies.

he passengers were determined to lose none of the beauties of nature toe displayed during the thirty miles' voyage. Nell, seated between Jamestarr and Harry, drank in with every faculty the magnificent poetrywith which lovely Scottish scenery is fraught. Numerous small isles andslets soon appeared, as though thickly sown on the bosom of the lake.he SINCLAIR steamed her way among them, while between them glimpsesould be had of quiet valleys, or wild rocky gorges on the mainland.

Nell," said James Starr, "every island here has its legend, perhapsts song, as well as the mountains which overshadow the lake. One may,without much exaggeration, say that the history of this country is

written in gigantic characters of mountains and islands."

ell listened, but these fighting stories made her sad. Why all thatloodshed on plains which to her seemed enormous, and where surely thereust have been room for everybody?

he shores of the lake form a little harbor at Luss. Nell could for aoment catch sight of the old tower of its ancient castle. Then, theINCLAIR turning northward, the tourists gazed upon Ben Lomond, toweringearly 3,000 feet above the level of the lake.

Oh, what a noble mountain!" cried Nell; "what a view there must be fromhe top!"




Yes, Nell," answered James Starr; "see how haughtily its peak risesrom amidst the thicket of oaks, birches, and heather, which clothe theower portion of the mountain! From thence one may see two-thirds of oldaledonia. This eastern side of the lake was the special abode of thelan McGregor. At no great distance, the struggles of the Jacobites andanoverians repeatedly dyed with blood these lonely glens. Over thesecenes shines the pale moon, called in old ballads 'Macfarlane'santern.' Among these rocks still echo the immortal names of Rob Roy andcGregor Campbell."

s the SINCLAIR advanced along the base of the mountain, the countryecame more and more abrupt in character. Trees were only scatteredere and there; among them were the willows, slender wands of which wereormerly used for hanging persons of low degree.

To economize hemp," remarked James Starr.

he lake narrowed very much as it stretched northwards.

he steamer passed a few more islets, Inveruglas, Eilad-whow, wheretand some ruins of a stronghold of the clan MacFarlane. At length theead of the loch was reached, and the SINCLAIR stopped at Inversnaid.

eaving Loch Arklet on the left, a steep ascent led to the Inn of

tronachlacar, on the banks of Loch Katrine.

here, at the end of a light pier, floated a small steamboat, named,s a matter of course, the Rob Roy. The travelers immediately went onoard; it was about to start. Loch Katrine is only ten miles in length;ts width never exceeds two miles. The hills nearest it are full of aharacter peculiar to themselves.

Here we are on this famous lake," said James Starr. "It has beenompared to an eel on account of its length and windings: and justly so.hey say that it never freezes. I know nothing about that, but what wewant to think of is, that here are the scenes of the adventures in theady of the Lake. I believe, if friend Jack looked about him carefully,e might see, still gliding over the surface of the water, the shade of

he slender form of sweet Ellen Douglas."

To be sure, Mr. Starr," replied Jack; "why should I not? I may just aswell see that pretty girl on the waters of Loch Katrine, as those uglyhosts on Loch Malcolm in the coal pit."

t was by this time three o'clock in the afternoon. The less hillyhores of Loch Katrine westward extended like a picture framed betweenen An and Ben Venue. At the distance of half a mile was the entrance tohe narrow bay, where was the landing-place for our tourists, who meanto return to Stirling by Callander.

ell appeared completely worn out by the continued excitement of theay. A faint ejaculation was all she was able to utter in token of

dmiration as new objects of wonder or beauty met her gaze. She requiredome hours of rest, were it but to impress lastingly the recollection ofll she had seen.

er hand rested in Harry's, and, looking earnestly at her, he said,Nell, dear Nell, we shall soon be home again in the gloomy region ofhe coal mine. Shall you not pine for what you have seen during theseew hours spent in the glorious light of day?"

No, Harry," replied the girl; "I shall like to think about it, but I amlad to go back with you to our dear old home."

Nell!" said Harry, vainly attempting to steady his voice, "are youwilling to be bound to me by the most sacred tie? Could you marry me,




ell?"

Yes, Harry, I could, if you are sure that I am able to make you happy,"nswered the maiden, raising her innocent eyes to his.

carcely had she pronounced these words when an unaccountable phenomenonook place. The Rob Roy, still half a mile from land, experienced aiolent shock. She suddenly grounded. No efforts of the engine couldove her.

he cause of this accident was simply that Loch Katrine was all at oncemptied, as though an enormous fissure had opened in its bed. In a feweconds it had the appearance of a sea beach at low water. Nearly thewhole of its contents had vanished into the bosom of the earth.

My friends!" exclaimed James Starr, as the cause of this marvel becameuddenly clear to him, "God help New Aberfoyle!"

HAPTER XVI. A FINAL THREAT

N that day, in the colliery of New Aberfoyle, work was going on in thesual regular way. In the distance could be heard the crash of greatharges of dynamite, by which the carboniferous rocks were blasted.ere masses of coal were loosened by pick-ax and crowbar; there theerforating machines, with their harsh grating, bored through the massesf sandstone and schist.

ollow, cavernous noises resounded on all sides. Draughts of air rushedlong the ventilating galleries, and the wooden swing-doors slammedeneath their violent gusts. In the lower tunnels, trains of trucksept passing along at the rate of fifteen miles an hour, while at theirpproach electric bells warned the workmen to cower down in the refugelaces. Lifts went incessantly up and down, worked by powerful enginesn the surface of the soil. Coal Town was throughout brilliantly lightedy the electric lamps at full power.

ining operations were being carried on with the greatest activity; coalwas being piled incessantly into the trucks, which went in hundredso empty themselves into the corves at the bottom of the shaft. Whilearties of miners who had labored during the night were taking needfulest, the others worked without wasting an hour.

ld Simon Ford and Madge, having finished their dinner, were resting athe door of their cottage. Simon smoked a good pipe of tobacco, and fromime to time the old couple spoke of Nell, of their boy, of Mr. Starr,nd wondered how they liked their trip to the surface of the earth.Where would they be now? What would they be doing? How could they stayo long away from the mine without feeling homesick?

ust then a terrific roaring noise was heard. It was like the sound of aighty cataract rushing down into the mine. The old people rose hastily.hey perceived at once that the waters of Loch Malcolm were rising. Areat wave, unfurling like a billow, swept up the bank and broke againsthe walls of the cottage. Simon caught his wife in his arms, and carrieder to the upper part of their dwelling.

t the same moment, cries arose from all parts of Coal Town, which washreatened by a sudden inundation. The inhabitants fled for safety tohe top of the schist rocks bordering the lake; terror spread in allirections; whole families in frantic haste rushed towards the tunnel inrder to reach the upper regions of the pit.

t was feared that the sea had burst into the colliery, for its




alleries and passages penetrated as far as the Caledonian Canal. Inhat case the entire excavation, vast as it was, would be completelylooded. Not a single inhabitant of New Aberfoyle would escape death.

ut when the foremost fugitives reached the entrance to the tunnel, theyncountered Simon Ford, who had quitted his cottage. "Stop, my friends,top!" shouted the old man; "if our town is to be overwhelmed, theloods will rush faster than you can; no one can possibly escape. Butee! the waters are rising no further! it appears to me the danger isver."

And our comrades at the far end of the works--what about them?" criedome of the miners.

There is nothing to fear for them," replied Simon; "they are working on higher level than the bed of the loch."

t was soon evident that the old man was in the right. The sudden influxf water had rushed to the very lowest bed of the vast mine, and itsnly ultimate effect was to raise the level of Loch Malcolm a few feet.oal Town was uninjured, and it was reasonable to hope that no one haderished in the flood of water which had descended to the depths of theine never yet penetrated by the workmen.

imon and his men could not decide whether this inundation was owing tohe overflow of a subterranean sheet of water penetrating fissures inhe solid rock, or to some underground torrent breaking through its worned, and precipitating itself to the lowest level of the mine. But thatery same evening they knew what to think about it, for the local papersublished an account of the marvelous phenomenon which Loch Katrine hadxhibited.

he surprising news was soon after confirmed by the four travelers, who,eturning with all possible speed to the cottage, learned with extremeatisfaction that no serious damage was done in New Aberfoyle.

he bed of Loch Katrine had fairly given way. The waters had suddenlyroken through by an enormous fissure into the mine beneath. Of SirWalter Scott's favorite loch there was not left enough to wet the pretty

oot of the Lady of the Lake; all that remained was a pond of a fewcres at the further extremity.

his singular event made a profound sensation in the country. It was ahing unheard of that a lake should in the space of a few minutes emptytself, and disappear into the bowels of the earth. There was nothingor it but to erase Loch Katrine from the map of Scotland until (byublic subscription) it could be refilled, care being of course taken,n the first place, to stop the rent up tight. This catastrophe wouldave been the death of Sir Walter Scott, had he still been in the world.

he accident was explicable when it was ascertained that, between theed of the lake and the vast cavity beneath, the geological strataad become reduced to a thin layer, incapable of longer sustaining the

weight of water.

ow, although to most people this event seemed plainly due to naturalauses, yet to James Starr and his friends, Simon and Harry Ford, theuestion constantly recurred, was it not rather to be attributed toalevolence? Uneasy suspicions continually harassed their minds. Washeir evil genius about to renew his persecution of those who venturedo work this rich mine?

t the cottage, some days later, James Starr thus discussed the matterwith the old man and his son: "Well, Simon," said he, "to my thinkingwe must class this circumstance with the others for which we still seeklucidation, although it is no doubt possible to explain it by naturalauses."




I am quite of your mind, Mr. James," replied Simon, "but take mydvice, and say nothing about it; let us make all researches ourselves."

Oh, I know the result of such research beforehand!" cried the engineer.

And what will it be, then?"

We shall find proofs of malevolence, but not the malefactor."

But he exists! he is there! Where can he lie concealed? Is it possibleo conceive that the most depraved human being could, single-handed,arry out an idea so infernal as that of bursting through the bed of aake? I believe I shall end by thinking, like Jack Ryan, that the evilemon of the mine revenges himself on us for having invaded his domain."

ell was allowed to hear as little as possible of these discussions.ndeed, she showed no desire to enter into them, although it was veryvident that she shared in the anxieties of her adopted parents. Theelancholy in her countenance bore witness to much mental agitation.

t was at length resolved that James Starr, together with Simon andarry, should return to the scene of the disaster, and endeavor toatisfy themselves as to the cause of it. They mentioned their project

o no one. To those unacquainted with the group of facts on which itwas based, the opinion of Starr and his friends could not fail to appearwholly inadmissible.

few days later, the three friends proceeded in a small boat to examinehe natural pillars on which had rested the solid earth forming theasin of Loch Katrine. They discovered that they had been right inuspecting that the massive columns had been undermined by blasting.he blackened traces of explosion were to be seen, the waters havingubsided below the level of these mysterious operations Thus the fall of portion of the vast vaulted dome was proved to have been premeditatedy man, and by man's hand had it been effected.

It is impossible to doubt it," said James Starr; "and who can say whatight not have happened had the sea, instead of a little loch, been let

n upon us?"

You may well say that," cried the old overman, with a feeling of priden his beloved mine; "for nothing less than a sea would have drowned ourberfoyle. But, once more, what possible interest could any human beingave in the destruction of our works?"

It is quite incomprehensible," replied James Starr. "This case isomething perfectly unlike that of a band of common criminals, who,oncealing themselves in dens and caves, go forth to rob and pillage theurrounding country. The evil deeds of such men would certainly, in theourse of three years have betrayed their existence and lurking-places.either can it be, as I sometimes used to think, that smugglers oroiners carried on their illegal practices in some distant and unknown

orner of these prodigious caverns, and were consequently anxious torive us out of them. But no one coins false money or obtains contrabandoods only to conceal them!

Yet it is clear that an implacable enemy has sworn the ruin of Newberfoyle, and that some interest urges him to seek in every possibleway to wreak his hatred upon us. He appears to be too weak to actpenly, and lays his schemes in secret; but displays such intelligences to render him a most formidable foe.

My friends, he must understand better than we do the secrets of ouromain, since he has all this time eluded our vigilance. He must be man experienced in mining, skilled beyond the most skillful--that'sertain, Simon! We have proof enough of that.




Let me see! Have you never had a personal enemy, to whom youruspicions might point? Think well! There is such a thing as hatredwhich time never softens. Go back to recollections of your earliestays. What befalls us appears the work of a stern and patient will, ando explain it demands every effort of thought and memory."

imon did not answer immediately--his mind evidently engaged in a closend candid survey of his past life. Presently, raising his head, "No,"aid he; "no! Heaven be my witness, neither Madge nor I have evernjured anybody. We cannot believe that we have a single enemy in theworld."

Ah! if Nell would only speak!" cried the engineer.

Mr. Starr--and you, father," said Harry, "I do beg of you to keepilence on this matter, and not to question my poor Nell. I know shes very anxious and uneasy; and I feel positive that some great secretainfully oppresses her heart. Either she knows nothing it would be ofny use for us to hear, or she considers it her duty to be silent. It ismpossible to doubt her affection for us--for all of us. If at a futureime she informs me of what she has hitherto concealed from us, youhall know about it immediately."

So be it, then, Harry," answered the engineer; "and yet I must sayell's silence, if she knows anything, is to me perfectly inexplicable."

arry would have continued her defense; but the engineer stopped him,aying, "All right, Harry; we promise to say no more about it to youruture wife."

With my father's consent she shall be my wife without further delay."

My boy," said old Simon, "your marriage shall take place this very dayonth. Mr. Starr, will you undertake the part of Nell's father?"

You may reckon upon me for that, Simon," answered the engineer.

hey then returned to the cottage, but said not a word of the result of

heir examinations in the mine, so that to the rest of its inhabitants,he bursting in of the vaulted roof of the caverns continued to beegarded as a mere accident. There was but a loch the less in Scotland.

ell gradually resumed her customary duties, and Harry made good use ofer little visit to the upper air, in the instructions he gave her. Shenjoyed the recollections of life above ground, yet without regrettingt. The somber region she had loved as a child, and in which her weddedife would be spent, was as dear to her as ever.

he approaching marriage created great excitement in New Aberfoyle. Goodwishes poured in on all sides, and foremost among them were Jack Ryan's.e was detected busily practicing his best songs in preparation for thereat day, which was to be celebrated by the whole population of Coal

own.

uring the month preceding the wedding-day, there were more accidentsccurring in New Aberfoyle than had ever been known in the place. Onewould have thought the approaching union of Harry and Nell actuallyrovoked one catastrophe after another. These misfortunes happenedhiefly at the further and lowest extremity of the works, and the causef them was always in some way mysterious.

hus, for instance, the wood-work of a distant gallery was discovered toe in flames, which were extinguished by Harry and his companions at theisk of their lives, by employing engines filled with water and carboniccid, always kept ready in case of necessity. The lamp used by thencendiary was found; but no clew whatever as to who he could be.




nother time an inundation took place in consequence of the stanchionsf a water-tank giving way; and Mr. Starr ascertained beyond a doubthat these supports had first of all been partially sawn through. Harry,who had been overseeing the works near the place at the time, was buriedn the falling rubbish, and narrowly escaped death.

few days afterwards, on the steam tramway, a train of trucks, whicharry was passing along, met with an obstacle on the rails, and wasverturned. It was then discovered that a beam had been laid across theine. In short, events of this description became so numerous thathe miners were seized with a kind of panic, and it required all thenfluence of their chiefs to keep them on the works.

You would think that there was a whole band of these ruffians," Simonept saying, "and we can't lay hands on a single one of them."

earch was made in all directions. The county police were on the alertight and day, yet discovered nothing. The evil intentions seemingpecially designed to injure Harry. Starr forbade him to venture aloneeyond the ordinary limits of the works.

hey were equally careful of Nell, although, at Harry's entreaty, thesealicious attempts to do harm were concealed from her, because they

ight remind her painfully of former times. Simon and Madge watched overer by day and by night with a sort of stern solicitude. The poorhild yielded to their wishes, without a remark or a complaint. Did sheerceive that they acted with a view to her interest? Probably she did.nd on her part, she seemed to watch over others, and was never easynless all whom she loved were together in the cottage.

When Harry came home in the evening, she could not restrain expressionsf child-like joy, very unlike her usual manner, which was rathereserved than demonstrative. As soon as day broke, she was astir beforenyone else, and her constant uneasiness lasted all day until the hourf return home from work.

arry became very anxious that their marriage should take place. Hehought that, when the irrevocable step was taken, malevolence would be

isarmed, and that Nell would never feel safe until she was his wife.ames Starr, Simon, and Madge, were all of the same opinion, andveryone counted the intervening days, for everyone suffered from theost uncomfortable forebodings.

t was perfectly evident that nothing relating to Nell was indifferento this hidden foe, whom it was impossible to meet or to avoid.herefore it seemed quite possible that the solemn act of her marriagewith Harry might be the occasion of some new and dreadful outbreak ofis hatred.

ne morning, a week before the day appointed for the ceremony, Nell,ising early, went out of the cottage before anyone else. No sooner hadhe crossed the threshold than a cry of indescribable anguish escaped

er lips.

er voice was heard throughout the dwelling; in a moment, Madge, Harry,nd Simon were at her side. Nell was pale as death, her countenancegitated, her features expressing the utmost horror. Unable to speak,er eyes were riveted on the door of the cottage, which she had justpened.

With rigid fingers she pointed to the following words traced upon ituring the night: "Simon Ford, you have robbed me of the last vein inur old pit. Harry, your son, has robbed me of Nell. Woe betide you! Woeetide you all! Woe betide New Aberfoyle!--SILFAX."

Silfax!" exclaimed Simon and Madge together.




Who is this man?" demanded Harry, looking alternately at his father andt the maiden.

Silfax!" repeated Nell in tones of despair, "Silfax!"--and, murmuringhis name, her whole frame shuddering with fear and agitation, she wasorne away to her chamber by old Madge.

ames Starr, hastening to the spot, read the threatening sentences againnd again.

The hand which traced these lines," said he at length, "is the samewhich wrote me the letter contradicting yours, Simon. The man callsimself Silfax. I see by your troubled manner that you know him. Who ishis Silfax?"

HAPTER XVII. THE "MONK"

HIS name revealed everything to the old overman. It was that of theast "monk" of the Dochart pit.

n former days, before the invention of the safety-lamp, Simon had knownhis fierce man, whose business it was to go daily, at the risk of hisife, to produce partial explosions of fire-damp in the passages. Hesed to see this strange solitary being, prowling about the mine, alwaysccompanied by a monstrous owl, which he called Harfang, who assistedim in his perilous occupation, by soaring with a lighted match tolaces Silfax was unable to reach.

ne day this old man disappeared, and at the same time also, a littlerphan girl born in the mine, who had no relation but himself, herreat-grandfather. It was perfectly evident now that this child wasell. During the fifteen years, up to the time when she was saved byarry, they must have lived in some secret abyss of the mine.

he old overman, full of mingled compassion and anger, made known to thengineer and Harry all that the name of Silfax had revealed to him. Itxplained the whole mystery. Silfax was the mysterious being so longainly sought for in the depths of New Aberfoyle.

So you knew him, Simon?" demanded Mr. Starr.

Yes, that I did," replied the overman. "The Harfang man, we used toall him. Why, he was old then! He must be fifteen or twenty years olderhan I am. A wild, savage sort of fellow, who held aloof from everyonend was known to fear nothing--neither fire nor water. It was his ownancy to follow the trade of 'monk,' which few would have liked.he constant danger of the business had unsettled his brain. He wasrodigiously strong, and he knew the mine as no one else--at any rate,

s well as I did. He lived on a small allowance. In faith, I believedim dead years ago."

But," resumed James Starr, "what does he mean by those words, 'You haveobbed me of the last vein of our old mine'?"

Ah! there it is," replied Simon; "for a long time it had been a fancyf his--I told you his mind was deranged--that he had a right to theine of Aberfoyle; so he became more and more savage in temper theeeper the Dochart pit--his pit!--was worked out. It just seemed as ift was his own body that suffered from every blow of the pickax. Youust remember that, Madge?"

Ay, that I do, Simon," replied she.




I can recollect all this," resumed Simon, "since I have seen the namef Silfax on the door. But I tell you, I thought the man was dead, andever imagined that the spiteful being we have so long sought for coulde the old fireman of the Dochart pit."

Well, now, then," said Starr, "it is all quite plain. Chance made knowno Silfax the new vein of coal. With the egotism of madness, he believedimself the owner of a treasure he must conceal and defend. Living inhe mine, and wandering about day and night, he perceived that you hadiscovered the secret, and had written in all haste to beg me to come.ence the letter contradicting yours; hence, after my arrival, all theccidents that occurred, such as the block of stone thrown at Harry, theroken ladder at the Yarrow shaft, the obstruction of the openings intohe wall of the new cutting; hence, in short, our imprisonment, and thenur deliverance, brought about by the kind assistance of Nell, who actedf course without the knowledge of this man Silfax, and contrary to hisntentions."

You describe everything exactly as it must have happened, Mr. Starr,"eturned old Simon. "The old 'Monk' is mad enough now, at any rate!"

All the better," quoth Madge.

I don't know that," said Starr, shaking his head; "it is a terribleort of madness this."

Ah! now I understand that the very thought of him must have terrifiedoor little Nell, and also I see that she could not bear to denounce herrandfather. What a miserable time she must have had of it with the oldan!"

Miserable with a vengeance," replied Simon, "between that savage andis owl, as savage as himself. Depend upon it, that bird isn't dead.hat was what put our lamp out, and also so nearly cut the rope by whicharry and Nell were suspended."

And then, you see," said Madge, "this news of the marriage of our son

with his granddaughter added to his rancor and ill-will."

To be sure," said Simon. "To think that his Nell should marry one ofhe robbers of his own coal mine would just drive him wild altogether."

He will have to make up his mind to it, however," cried Harry. "Mad ase is, we shall manage to convince him that Nell is better off with usere than ever she was in the caverns of the pit. I am sure, Mr. Starr,f we could only catch him, we should be able to make him listen toeason."

My poor Harry! there is no reasoning with a madman," replied thengineer. "Of course it is better to know your enemy than not; but youust not fancy all is right because we have found out who he is. We must

e on our guard, my friends; and to begin with, Harry, you positivelyust question Nell. She will perceive that her silence is no longereasonable. Even for her grandfather's own interest, she ought to speakow. For his own sake, as well as for ours, these insane plots must beut a stop to."

I feel sure, Mr. Starr," answered Harry, "that Nell will of herselfropose to tell you what she knows. You see it was from a sense of dutyhat she has been silent hitherto. My mother was very right to take hero her room just now. She much needed time to recover her spirits; butow I will go for her."

You need not do so, Harry," said the maiden in a clear and firm voice,s she entered at that moment the room in which they were. Nell was very




ale; traces of tears were in her eyes; but her whole manner showed thathe had nerved herself to act as her loyal heart dictated as her duty.

Nell!" cried Harry, springing towards her.

he girl arrested her lover by a gesture, and continued, "Your fathernd mother, and you, Harry, must now know all. And you too, Mr. Starr,ust remain ignorant of nothing that concerns the child you haveeceived, and whom Harry--unfortunately for him, alas!--drew from thebyss."

Oh, Nell! what are you saying?" cried Harry.

Allow her to speak," said James Starr in a decided tone.

I am the granddaughter of old Silfax," resumed Nell. "I never knew aother till the day I came here," added she, looking at Madge.

Blessed be that day, my daughter!" said the old woman.

I knew no father till I saw Simon Ford," continued Nell; "nor friendill the day when Harry's hand touched mine. Alone with my grandfather have lived during fifteen years in the remote and most solitary depths

f the mine. I say WITH my grandfather, but I can scarcely usehe expression, for I seldom saw him. When he disappeared from Oldberfoyle, he concealed himself in caverns known only to himself. In hisway he was kind to me, dreadful as he was; he fed me with whatever heould procure from outside the mine; but I can dimly recollect that iny earliest years I was the nursling of a goat, the death of which was bitter grief to me. My grandfather, seeing my distress, brought menother animal--a dog he said it was. But, unluckily, this dog wasively, and barked. Grandfather did not like anything cheerful. He had horror of noise, and had taught me to be silent; the dog he couldot teach to be quiet, so the poor animal very soon disappeared. Myrandfather's companion was a ferocious bird, Harfang, of which, atirst, I had a perfect horror; but this creature, in spite of my dislikeo it, took such a strong affection for me, that I could not helpeturning it. It even obeyed me better than its master, which used to

ake me quite uneasy, for my grandfather was jealous. Harfang and Iid not dare to let him see us much together; we both knew it would beangerous. But I am talking too much about myself: the great thing isbout you."

No, my child," said James Starr, "tell us everything that comes to yourind."

My grandfather," continued Nell, "always regarded your abode in theine with a very evil eye--not that there was any lack of space. Hishosen refuge was far--very far from you. But he could not bear to feelhat you were there. If I asked any questions about the people up aboves, his face grew dark, he gave no answer, and continued quite silent

or a long time afterwards. But when he perceived that, not content withhe old domain, you seemed to think of encroaching upon his, then indeedis anger burst forth. He swore that, were you to succeed in reachinghe new mine, you should assuredly perish. Notwithstanding his greatge, his strength is astonishing, and his threats used to make meremble."

Go on, Nell, my child," said Simon to the girl, who paused as though toollect her thoughts.

On the occasion of your first attempt," resumed Nell, "as soon as myrandfather saw that you were fairly inside the gallery leading to Newberfoyle, he stopped up the opening, and turned it into a prison forou. I only knew you as shadows dimly seen in the gloom of the pit, but




could not endure the idea that you would die of hunger in these horridlaces; and so, at the risk of being detected, I succeeded in obtainingread and water for you during some days. I should have liked to helpou to escape, but it was so difficult to avoid the vigilance of myrandfather. You were about to die. Then arrived Jack Ryan and thethers. By the providence of God I met with them, and instantly guidedhem to where you were. When my grandfather discovered what I had done,is rage against me was terrible. I expected death at his hands. Afterhat my life became insupportable to me. My grandfather completely lostis senses. He proclaimed himself King of Darkness and Flame; and whene heard your tools at work on coal-beds which he considered entirelyis own, he became furious and beat me cruelly. I would have fled fromim, but it was impossible, so narrowly did he watch me. At last, in fit of ungovernable fury, he threw me down into the abyss where youound me, and disappeared, vainly calling on Harfang, which faithfullytayed by me, to follow him. I know not how long I remained there, but Ielt I was at the point of death when you, my Harry, came and saved me.ut now you all see that the grandchild of old Silfax can never be thewife of Harry Ford, because it would be certain death to you all!"

Nell!" cried Harry.

No," continued the maiden, "my resolution is taken. By one means onlyan your ruin be averted; I must return to my grandfather. He threatens

o destroy the whole of New Aberfoyle. His is a soul incapable of mercyr forgiveness, and no mortal can say to what horrid deed the spirit ofevenge will lead him. My duty is clear; I should be the most despicablereature on earth did I hesitate to perform it. Farewell! I thank youll heartily. You only have taught me what happiness is. Whatever mayefall, believe that my whole heart remains with you."

t these words, Simon, Madge, and Harry started up in an agony of grief,xclaiming in tones of despair, "What, Nell! is it possible you wouldeave us?"

ames Starr put them all aside with an air of authority, and, goingtraight up to Nell, he took both her hands in his, saying quietly,Very right, my child; you have said exactly what you ought to say;nd now listen to what we have to say in reply. We shall not let you go

way; if necessary, we shall keep you by force. Do you think we could beo base as to accept of your generous proposal? These threats of Silfaxre formidable--no doubt about it! But, after all, a man is but a man,nd we can take precautions. You will tell us, will you not, even foris own sake, all you can about his habits and his lurking-places? Allwe want to do is to put it out of his power to do harm, and perhapsring him to reason."

You want to do what is quite impossible," said Nell. "My grandfathers everywhere and nowhere. I have never seen his retreats. I have nevereen him sleep. If he meant to conceal himself, he used to leave melone, and vanish. When I took my resolution, Mr. Starr, I was aware ofverything you could say against it. Believe me, there is but one way toender Silfax powerless, and that will be by my return to him. Invisible

imself, he sees everything that goes on. Just think whether it isikely he could discover your very thoughts and intentions, fromhat time when the letter was written to Mr. Starr, up to now thaty marriage with Harry has been arranged, if he did not possess thextraordinary faculty of knowing everything. As far as I am able toudge, my grandfather, in his very insanity, is a man of most powerfulind. He formerly used to talk to me on very lofty subjects. He taughte the existence of God, and never deceived me but on one point, whichwas--that he made me believe that all men were base and perfidious,ecause he wished to inspire me with his own hatred of all the humanace. When Harry brought me to the cottage, you thought I was simplygnorant of mankind, but, far beyond that, I was in mortal fear of youll. Ah, forgive me! I assure you, for many days I believed myself inhe power of wicked wretches, and I longed to escape. You, Madge, first




ed me to perceive the truth, not by anything you said, but by theight of your daily life, for I saw that your husband and son loved andespected you! Then all these good and happy workmen, who so revere andrust Mr. Starr, I used to think they were slaves; and when, for theirst time, I saw the whole population of Aberfoyle come to church andneel down to pray to God, and praise Him for His infinite goodness, Iaid to myself, 'My grandfather has deceived me.' But now, enlightenedy all you have taught me, I am inclined to think he himself iseceived. I mean to return to the secret passages I formerly frequentedwith him. He is certain to be on the watch. I will call to him; he willear me, and who knows but that, by returning to him, I may be able toring him to the knowledge of the truth?"

he maiden spoke without interruption, for all felt that it was good forer to open her whole heart to her friends.

ut when, exhausted by emotion, and with eyes full of tears, she ceasedpeaking, Harry turned to old Madge and said, "Mother, what should youhink of the man who could forsake the noble girl whose words you haveeen listening to?"

I should think he was a base coward," said Madge, "and, were he my son, should renounce and curse him."

Nell, do you hear what our mother says?" resumed Harry. "Wherever youo I will follow you. If you persist in leaving us, we will go awayogether."

Harry! Harry!" cried Nell.

vercome by her feelings, the girl's lips blanched, and she sank intohe arms of Madge, who begged she might be left alone with her.

HAPTER XVIII. NELL'S WEDDING

T was agreed that the inhabitants of the cottage must keep more on

heir guard than ever. The threats of old Silfax were too serious to beisregarded. It was only too possible that he possessed some terribleeans by which the whole of Aberfoyle might be annihilated.

rmed sentinels were posted at the various entrances to the mine, withrders to keep strict watch day and night. Any stranger entering theine was brought before James Starr, that he might give an account ofimself. There being no fear of treason among the inhabitants of Coalown, the threatened danger to the subterranean colony was made knowno them. Nell was informed of all the precautions taken, and becameore tranquil, although she was not free from uneasiness. Harry'setermination to follow her wherever she went compelled her to promiseot to escape from her friends.

uring the week preceding the wedding, no accident whatever occurredn Aberfoyle. The system of watching was carefully maintained, but theiners began to recover from the panic, which had seriously interruptedhe work of excavation. James Starr continued to look out for Silfax.he old man having vindictively declared that Nell should never marryimon's son, it was natural to suppose that he would not hesitate toommit any violent deed which would hinder their union.

he examination of the mine was carried on minutely. Every passage andallery was searched, up to those higher ranges which opened out amonghe ruins of Dundonald Castle. It was rightly supposed that throughhis old building Silfax passed out to obtain what was needful for theupport of his miserable existence (which he must have done, either byurchasing or thieving).




s to the "fire-maidens," James Starr began to think that appearanceust have been produced by some jet of fire-damp gas which, issuing fromhat part of the pit, could be lighted by Silfax. He was not far wrong;ut all search for proof of this was fruitless, and the continued strainf anxiety in this perpetual effort to detect a malignant and invisibleeing rendered the engineer--outwardly calm--an unhappy man.

89

s the wedding-day approached, his dread of some catastrophe increased,nd he could not but speak of it to the old overman, whose uneasinessoon more than equaled his own. At length the day came. Silfax had giveno token of existence.

y daybreak the entire population of Coal Town was astir. Work wasuspended; overseers and workmen alike desired to do honor to Simon Fordnd his son. They all felt they owed a large debt of gratitude to theseold and persevering men, by whose means the mine had been restored tots former prosperity. The ceremony was to take place at eleven o'clock,n St. Giles's chapel, which stood on the shores of Loch Malcolm.

t the appointed time, Harry left the cottage, supporting his mother

n his arm, while Simon led the bride. Following them came Starr, thengineer, composed in manner, but in reality nerved to expect the worst,nd Jack Ryan, stepping superb in full Highland piper's costume. Thename the other mining engineers, the principal people of Coal Town,he friends and comrades of the old overman--every member of this greatamily of miners forming the population of New Aberfoyle.

n the outer world, the day was one of the hottest of the month ofugust, peculiarly oppressive in northern countries. The sultry airenetrated the depths of the coal mine, and elevated the temperature.he air which entered through the ventilating shafts, and the greatunnel of Loch Malcolm, was charged with electricity, and the barometer,t was afterwards remarked, had fallen in a remarkable manner. Therewas, indeed, every indication that a storm might burst forth beneath theocky vault which formed the roof of the enormous crypt of the very mine

tself.

ut the inhabitants were not at that moment troubling themselves abouthe chances of atmospheric disturbance above ground. Everybody, as aatter of course, had put on his best clothes for the occasion. Madgewas dressed in the fashion of days gone by, wearing the "toy" and therokelay," or Tartan plaid, of matrons of the olden time, old Simon wore coat of which Bailie Nicol Jarvie himself would have approved.

ell had resolved to show nothing of her mental agitation; she forbadeer heart to beat, or her inward terrors to betray themselves, and therave girl appeared before all with a calm and collected aspect. She hadeclined every ornament of dress, and the very simplicity of her attiredded to the charming elegance of her appearance. Her hair was bound

with the "snood," the usual head-dress of Scottish maidens.

ll proceeded towards St. Giles's chapel, which had been handsomelyecorated for the occasion.

he electric discs of light which illuminated Coal Town blazed like soany suns. A luminous atmosphere pervaded New Aberfoyle. In the chapel,lectric lamps shed a glow over the stained-glass windows, which shoneike fiery kaleidoscopes. At the porch of the chapel the ministerwaited the arrival of the wedding party.

t approached, after having passed in stately procession along the shoref Loch Malcolm. Then the tones of the organ were heard, and, precededy the minister, the group advanced into the chapel. The Divine blessing




was first invoked on all present. Then Harry and Nell remained aloneefore the minister, who, holding the sacred book in his hand, proceededo say, "Harry, will you take Nell to be your wife, and will you promiseo love her always?"

I promise," answered the young man in a firm and steady voice.

And you, Nell," continued the minister, "will you take Harry to be yourusband, and--"

efore he could finish the sentence, a prodigious noise resounded fromwithout. One of the enormous rocks, on which was formed the terraceverhanging the banks of Loch Malcolm, had suddenly given way and openedwithout explosion, disclosing a profound abyss, into which the waterswere now wildly plunging.

n another instant, among the shattered rocks and rushing waves appeared canoe, which a vigorous arm propelled along the surface of the lake.n the canoe was seen the figure of an old man standing upright. He waslothed in a dark mantle, his hair was dishevelled, a long white beardell over his breast, and in his hand he bore a lighted Davy safetyamp, the flame being protected by the metallic gauze of the apparatus.

n a loud voice this old man shouted, "The fire-damp is upon you!

Woe--woe betide ye all!"

t the same moment the slight smell peculiar to carburetted hydrogen waserceptibly diffused through the atmosphere. And, in truth, the fallf the rock had made a passage of escape for an enormous quantity ofxplosive gas, accumulated in vast cavities, the openings to which haditherto been blocked up.

ets and streams of the fire-damp now rose upward in the vaulted dome;nd well did that fierce old man know that the consequence of what head done would be to render explosive the whole atmosphere of the mine.

ames Starr and several others, having hastily quitted the chapel, anderceived the imminence of the danger, now rushed back, crying out in

ccents of the utmost alarm, "Fly from the mine! Fly instantly from theine!"

Now for the fire-damp! Here comes the fire-damp!" yelled the old man,rging his canoe further along the lake.

arry with his bride, his father and his mother, left the chapel inaste and in terror.

Fly! fly for your lives!" repeated James Starr. Alas! it was too lateo fly! Old Silfax stood there, prepared to fulfill his last dreadfulhreat--prepared to stop the marriage of Nell and Harry by overwhelminghe entire population of the place beneath the ruins of the coal mine.

s he stood ready to accomplish this act of vengeance, his enormouswl, whose white plumage was marked with black spots, was seen hoveringirectly above his head.

t that moment a man flung himself into the waters of the lake, and swamigorously towards the canoe.

t was Jack Ryan, fully determined to reach the madman before he couldo the dreadful deed of destruction.

ilfax saw him coming. Instantly he smashed the glass of his lamp, and,natching out the burning wick, waved it in the air.

ilence like death fell upon the astounded multitude. James Starr, in




he calmness of despair, marvelled that the inevitable explosion wasven for a moment delayed.

ilfax, gazing upwards with wild and contracted features, appearedo become aware that the gas, lighter than the lower atmosphere, wasccumulating far up under the dome; and at a sign from him the owl,eizing in its claw the lighted match, soared upwards to the vaultedoof, towards which the madman pointed with outstretched arm.

nother second and New Aberfoyle would be no more.

uddenly Nell sprang from Harry's arms, and, with a bright look ofnspiration, she ran to the very brink of the waters of the lake.Harfang! Harfang!" cried she in a clear voice; "here! come to me!"

he faithful bird, surprised, appeared to hesitate in its flight.resently, recognizing Nell's voice, it dropped the burning match intohe water, and, describing a wide circle, flew downwards, alighting athe maiden's feet.

hen a terrible cry echoed through the vaulted roofs. It was the lastound uttered by old Silfax.

ust as Jack Ryan laid his hand on the edge of the canoe, the old man,oiled in his purpose of revenge, cast himself headlong into the watersf the lake.

Save him! oh, save him!" shrieked Nell in a voice of agony. Immediatelyarry plunged into the water, and, swimming towards Jack Ryan, he divedepeatedly.

ut his efforts were useless. The waters of Loch Malcolm yielded notheir prey: they closed forever over Silfax.

HAPTER XIX. THE LEGEND OF OLD SILFAX

ix months after these events, the marriage, so strangely interrupted,was finally celebrated in St. Giles's chapel, and the young couple, whotill wore mourning garments, returned to the cottage. James Starrnd Simon Ford, henceforth free from the anxieties which had so longistressed them, joyously presided over the entertainment which followedhe ceremony, and prolonged it to the following day.

n this memorable occasion, Jack Ryan, in his favorite character ofiper, and in all the glory of full dress, blew up his chanter, andstonished the company by the unheard of achievement of playing,inging, and dancing all at once.

t is needless to say that Harry and Nell were happy. These loving

earts, after the trials they had gone through found in their union theappiness they deserved.

s to Simon Ford, the ex-overman of New Aberfoyle, he began to talk ofelebrating his golden wedding, after fifty years of marriage with goodld Madge, who liked the idea immensely herself.

And after that, why not golden wedding number two?"

You would like a couple of fifties, would you, Mr. Simon?" said JackRyan.

All right, my boy," replied the overman quietly, "I see nothing againstt in this fine climate of ours, and living far from the luxury and




ntemperance of the outer world."

Will the dwellers in Coal Town ever be called to witness this seconderemony? Time will show. Certainly the strange bird of old Silfaxeemed destined to attain a wonderful longevity. The Harfang continuedo haunt the gloomy recesses of the cave. After the old man's death,ell had attempted to keep the owl, but in a very few days he flew away.e evidently disliked human society as much as his master had done, and,esides that, he appeared to have a particular spite against Harry. Theealous bird seemed to remember and hate him for having carried off Nellrom the deep abyss, notwithstanding all he could do to prevent him.till, at long intervals, Nell would see the creature hovering aboveoch Malcolm.

ould he possibly be watching for his friend of yore? Did he strive toierce, with keen eye, the depths which had engulfed his master?

he history of the Harfang became legendary, and furnished Jack Ryanwith many a tale and song. Thanks to him, the story of old Silfax andis bird will long be preserved, and handed down to future generationsf the Scottish peasantry.

ranscriber's Note: I have made the following changes to the text:

PAGE LINE ORIGINAL CHANGED TO285 31 Collander Callander296 4 quarternary quaternary301 36 intersting interesting349 1 unusued unused350 8 lengendary legendary379 35 her her.390 38 Tarton Tartan

The Underground City by Jules Verne

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